Book of Arkos
by Izlawake
Summary: A collection of Arkos one shots, from romance, fluff, smut, adventures, angst, headcanons, AUs, and so on. For the Arkos fans.
1. Patching Up the Goofball

A/N: A fluffy one shot of Pyrrha patching Jaune up after a rough mission, with him playing a trick to get a kiss from her.

* * *

Jaune sat on his bed naked from the waist up while Pyrrha sat before him in a chair while a large first aid box laid opened beside her. Jaune himself was covered in scratches, some of which were still bleeding and red with blood, and big bruises that had blackened his skin, and he seemed downtrodden. "So, I guess I need more training, don't I?" he asked Pyrrha in a sad tone.

"I suppose so, but you have improved a lot lately," Pyrrha reminded him, hoping to cheer him up.

"I suppose so, but I owe your training for that," Jaune moaned as she dabbed a damp cloth onto a deep cut to clean it.

"True, but if I didn't train you, you'd be sitting here with worse injuries, or worse, you'd be in the infirmary," she told him as she damped the cloth with a little alcohol and pressed it onto the cut, making him wince. "I'm sorry," she quickly said before working on his other wounds.

"It's fine, I appreciate you patching me up." Jaune gave her a smile.

"It's funny how your sisters taught you how to dance, sew, garden, fold laundry, and cook meals, yet they never taught you basic first aid outside of putting a band aid on a cut," Pyrrha joked, chuckling at her own remark, which Jaune followed suit to.

"They taught me what they thought would be most useful for me," he argued nicely.

Once she finished cleaning his wounds with alcohol, Pyrrha set to work wrapping his body in bandages, which covered his lower body and ran up to his left shoulder. She finished him up by tapping patches over his bruises and bandages onto his smaller cuts. When she finished up with the last bandage on his chest, she gave it a kiss. "There, all better. Just remember not to strain yourself too much, and your Aura will heal the rest over time."

"I've always wondered, why patch me up if Aura heals me, just as it does everyone?" Jaune wondered aloud.

"Well, yes, it does, but your Aura is not as…progressive as mine is, so it needs extra time to work its magic." Pyrrha laid her hand upon his good shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. "Is there any other place that still hurts?"

"No, not really…Except here," he quickly said, pointing to a spot on his breast. Pyrrha gave it a light rub and a light kiss.

"Anywhere else?" she asked in a tender tone and a smile.

"Um, here. I'm a bit sore here," Jaune answered, pointing to his neck. Pyrrha went forward and gently kissed the side of his neck, making him shiver a little. "And here too." He pointed to his lips, and now he was a blushing a light red.

Pyrrha blushed red as well and went forward, pursing her lips and closing her eyes. Jaune did the same, and the two closed together in a loving kiss. Jaune wrung his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, deepening the kiss. Pyrrha leaned into him, enjoying it with each second, causing Jaune to fall backwards onto the bed with her on top. They broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. "You care way too much abut me, you know? Always patching me up, pulling me out of danger, and dealing with my dorky stuff," Jaune remarked.

"It's because I love you is why I deal with it," Pyrrha laughed, booping her nose against his. "And yes, you're a dork, but you're my dorky knight."

Jaune reached up and gave her a kiss. "And you're my warrior princess too." They shared another kiss and snuggled with each other in bed, resting the day away.


	2. Pyrrha's ASMR Massage

This chapter is about Pyrrha giving Jaune an ASMR back massage after a long day of training.

* * *

"You know, maybe you need to take things a little bit easier with the training bot from now on," Pyrrha told Jaune as she lugged his sore and aching body back to their dorm.

"I think I was doing pretty well," Jaune remarked, trying to hold himself up.

"The training bot tossed you across the training room!" They reached their room and Pyrrha pressed her scroll to the scanner and it allowed them in. From there, she laid Jaune onto his bed. "Need me to help you with your armor?" she asked, to which he nodded. Rolling her eyes, she unbuckled his armor and laid it onto the floor. "Feeling better?"

"I'm just sore now, but at least I don't have my armor on. I might just take a nap." Jaune grinned.

Pyrrha returned the grin. "That sounds like a great idea, but I've got a better one. How about a massage?" She began cracking her knuckles.

"A what?"

"A massage. I often got them myself during my tournament days, and after a year of them, I took some lessons to use them on myself." She sat down beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I know exactly what to do, and when I'm done, you'll feel much better." She gave him a smile, which he returned.

"Alright, I'll do it." Pyrrha had him strip off his top clothes and laid down on his stomach.

"Okay, now just relax and let me work my magic," Pyrrha assured him. She stripped off her gloves and laid her fingers upon Jaune's shoulder blades. She started by lightly tracing her warm fingertips around his shoulder blades, making a complete circle, then going counter clockwise. "This is a trick my masseuse taught me. By lightly touching the edges of the bones, you can induce a tingling, yet relaxing sensation."

"I can feel it already," Jaune noted, much to Pyrrha's satisfaction. She moved her fingers downward, curling her fingers to scratch at his skin, then she brought them up to his shoulders, where she curled her hands around them and gently rubbed, making Jaune give a long sigh and shift his body. "Wow, you're good at this, Pyr."

"Thank you, Jaune." She proceeded to mend his tired muscles in his back, kneeing them in her hands and caressing his shoulders. Pyrrha, for the fun of it, then wriggled a couple of her fingers in the back of Jaune's hair, pushing her fingertips to the skin and slowly sliding downward onto the back of his neck, where she took one hand and caressed his skin by moving them inward and out a few times, making him hum. She then traced her four digits to the side of his neck and moved them up and down a few times, then repeated this on the other side. "Okay, now stretch out your right arm," she told him, which he obeyed. Pyrrha began rubbing her hand down his arm while gently poking at his skin, which continued to calm his nerves. She switched to his other arm and did the same. When she had finished with his arms, she went back to his backside, rubbing at his lower back and brushing her fingers in between his spinal cord.

"And now for the finale," she carefully whispered into his ear, her relaxed voice sending warm shivers through his body. She started at the top of his head, where she ran both her hands through it, down his neck, over his shoulders (while gently tapping at his skin with her fingernails), over his shoulder blades, down his back, along his sides, and down to his lower region, where she retraced her steps back up to his shoulders, where she went down his arms to his elbows. "And we're done."

"Wow, I feel better already! Thanks, Pyrrha!" Jaune marveled with satisfaction. He stretched out his arms and found them to be normal again, free of soreness.

"Just be careful not to strain yourself or else you'll get hurt more, and my massage was more to help ease the soreness, not cure it," she explained with a smile, content to see that Jaune was happy. "But maybe this weekend, we can go into Vale and find ourselves a masseuse who can work on us both to help us out."

"That sounds like a great idea." Jaune smiled. He put his hoodie back on, then he crawled under his blankets and dozed off. Pyrrha watched him for a moment and decided to do the same, feeling tired as well from working her magic fingers.

 **CHAPTER END**


	3. Arkos vs Red Witch AU

An AU where Jaune accompanies Pyrrha for her battle against Cinder at Beacon Tower.

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha stood outside of Beacon, having just escaped the Vault where Ozpin and Cinder were. Jaune witnessed everything that happened down there, and after it all, he was left with only more questions surrounding Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, what was all of that?" He demanded from her as he caught his breath.

"I…!" Pyrrha started before she heard something, making them both turn back towards Beacon, where they saw Cinder emerge and fly up to the tower.

"Ozpin…No…" Jaune started.

"Go get help!" Pyrrha ordered him. "Find Glynda, Qrow, or General Ironwood and bring them here!"

"What are you…!" Jaune questioned, realizing what Pyrrha was planning. "No…Pyrrha, you saw how powerful she is! You-You can't do this!" Jaune grabbed hold of her arms, hoping to keep her still, but he could see the determination in her eyes, and he knew there was only one thing that could stop her from going; the same thing he has been questioning himself since the dance. "Pyrrha, I–?!" he started, but he instead was silenced by a kiss from her. Jaune was surprised by this action, but his mind told him to relax and accept it, which he did, resting his hands around her waist and pulling her close, deepening the kiss. When Pyrrha broke the kiss, Jaune could see that she was crying.

"I'm sorry," was all she said before she used her polarity on his armor to throw him into a nearby rocket locker and close it upon him, locking him inside while he screams for her.

"PYRRHA, DON'T DO THIS!" he pleaded while she ignored him, tapping a series of commands onto the holographic template. "PYRRHA, LET ME HELP! I CAN HELP!" She continued ignoring him while she finished up, and she was about to hit the "ENTER" button to send him flying away when… "PYRRHA, I LOVE YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I LOVE YOU!" Pyrrha let out a gasp and her finger hesitated. Pyrrha looked upon the scared boy within the locker. She could tell by the look in his eyes that his words were sincere and full of heart. "Please…Let me out…Let me help…" he begged.

Tears welted up in Pyrrha's eyes. Her finger paused over the "ENTER" key, but then it hit the "ESCAPE" key instead, opening the locker and allowing Jaune freedom. He threw himself onto her into a tight hug, where she cried into his shoulder. "I'm sorry…" she said again.

"It's okay," he whispered to her. He let go, allowing her to step back.

"Jaune, you know how powerful she is," Pyrrha reminded him. "If you go up there with me, you'll…You'll likely die…"

"And if you go up there alone, you will certainly die yourself," he told him. He took her hand in his. "Even the strongest need help every now and then. You're strong, Pyrrha, but you're not invincible, but that doesn't mean you need to prove to the world that you are…I should've told you those words earlier instead of what I said."

Pyrrha started out for Beacon Tower with Jaune behind her, but she stopped him for one moment. "Promise me that if something happens, if I…fall or…we are about to lose, promise me that you'll run away, okay? Promise me, okay?" Jaune nodded and the two ran for the tower. There, they ran into an open elevator, where Pyrrha used her polarity to shoot them up towards Ozpin's office, where Cinder was currently located.

Up there, Cinder was addressing to the Grimm Dragon that clung to the tower when the elevator doors opened and Pyrrha came flying out on her shield, striking Cinder before bouncing off. She sprang up in attack position, drawing Milo and Akouo into her hands with her polarity while Jaune came out beside her with Crocea Mors drawn and ready. "Well, well, the Invincible Girl and the Clumsy Knight. Let's see how you two fare against a powerful Maiden," Cinder taunted them before lifting herself into the air with her newfound power. Cinder dove for Jaune, quickly snatching him up and throwing him against the nearby wall. "JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried as she leapt at Cinder, swiping at her a few times with Milo before jumping away, where Cinder let loose a ray of fire, which Pyrrha rolled away to avoid.

Jaune recovered and ran back by Pyrrha's side with his shield raised. Cinder let slip a smirk and raised her hands up, where a great ball of fire merged within them. She threw it upon them, where the two dashed into different directions before it hit the floor, shooting across the floor, though Jaune and Pyrrha avoided it just in time by leaping at the walls and vaulting off them.

"PYRRHA! X-STRIKE!" Jaune called, switching his shield to its scabbard form and gripping Crocea Mors with both hands. Pyrrha recognized the name of one of their team attacks and followed suit. Both of them rushed at Cinder at both ends, cutting through her with their blades, then doubled back in different directions, striking her again. Cinder enveloped herself in fire that encased her like armor and flew at Jaune, grabbing him by his breastplate and throwing him to the floor, where he leapt back to his feet in an instant.

"JAUNE! GET DOWN!" Pyrrha suddenly exclaimed, dashing for him and yanking him down to the floor. Just before she grabbed him, Jaune saw the giant Grimm Dragon flying straight for Beacon Tower, which he crashed through, shattering the roof to bits and sending giant cogs around, as well as permanently shutting down the CCTS across all four Kingdoms with its destruction.

Both students leapt to their feet while Cinder hovered before them. "It's over. The CCTS is offline, and I still have the Grimm Dragon. You two have failed," she told them coldly.

"We're not done yet!" Jaune spat at her. He glanced at Pyrrha and mouthed "Arkos" to her. Pyrrha nodded, fully understanding. Pyrrha spied a cog nearby and used her polarity to control it. She quickly flung it at Cinder, striking her and knocking her aside. "NOW!" Jaune yelled, and the two rushed forward with their blades drawn and their shields raised. Both leapt forward and bashed Cinder with their shields in unison, making her stumble backwards. Jaune lead first, quickly jumping before the dazed Cinder and striking her twice, where he switched with Pyrrha who struck twice in rapid succession as well. Both then leapt forward and struck Cinder with one giant slash with both of their blades. Cinder stumbled, but she did not fall. She glared at them both, gritting her teeth, and made herself explode in a fiery aura. She fired blasts of fire at the two, of which Jaune failed to avoid, sending him sprawling across the floor where he laid still. Pyrrha avoided hers, and in retaliation, she lifted the cogs in the room and smashed them into Cinder. She watched the pile of cogs for a moment, when a fiery light ignited from under them and Cinder used her power to send them flying in all directions, one of which struck Pyrrha, sending her against a nearby wall, completely depleted of her Aura.

Cinder slipped a grin of victory and materialized her bow, where she nocked an arrow aimed straight at Pyrrha. Pyrrha quickly tossed her shield like a frisbee just as Cinder fired. The two projectiles collided in midair, but instead of deflecting the arrow, the arrow disintegrated and reformed around Pyrrha's shield, continuing its path, where it dug straight into her ankle, making her cry out in pain. Pyrrha fell to the floor, unable to move anymore. Milo laid nearby, but it was now useless to her, and Akouo was on the other side of the room near where Jaune laid, still not moving. Pyrrha feared he was dead, but suddenly he stirred.

"It's a shame that you were promised a power that did not belong to you," Cinder told Pyrrha as she stepped before her. "But know that I will use the Fall Maiden's powers in ways you could only imagine, but to do so, I need the little trace of magic you inherited down in the Vault." Pyrrha was surprised for a moment. "Yes, you have some of her power within you. I had hoped that killing Amber would make her magic return to her and then to me, but it seems your Aura had to latch onto a tiny bit for yourself." Cinder nocked a new arrow, this one aimed straight for Pyrrha's heart, who offered no resistance. Jaune finally awakened and saw what was unfolding before him. He snatched up Akouo and flung it at Cinder, striking her in the back of the head and making her stumble. The arrow was let loose as a result and flew harmlessly into a nearby wall, missing Pyrrha entirely. "WHAT?!" Cinder spat, spinning around to find Jaune standing with his sword and shield in hand and a mean look upon his face.

"Get away from her, you witch!" he screamed at Cinder, distracting her long enough for Pyrrha to crawl to a nearby wall to remain out of the fight.

"You best stand down before I kill you, boy," Cinder hissed as the two patrolled the perimeter of the tower. "You best run away and live to fight another day."

"A Huntsman never runs away from an enemy, especially when they're threatening one of his fellow Huntsmen," Jaune retorted, unfazed by Cinder's presence.

"Jaune, just get out of here! You promised you'd run if things go bad!" Pyrrha yelled at him.

Jaune did not answer, nor did he run. He stayed put with his shield raised and his sword gripped tight. "You better entertain me, boy," Cinder warned him before firing two balls of fire at him, which he dove from, narrowing missing. Cinder descended to the floor, wanting to give Jaune a measly chance to fight, and she snapped her fingers, where a line of small embers materialized before her in a horizontal pattern. She flung them towards him, but he swung at them, striking them all down in one strike. Cinder summoned another row, this time in a diagonal pattern, but Jaune struck them down as well. She grew a large fireball in both hands and flung it at Jaune, forcing him to block it with his shield, which slid him back towards the edge of the tower. Cinder flew at him, but he ducked just in time, making the witch fly into the air. Cinder hovered in midair and flung small fireballs at Jaune, forcing him to either block or dodge. Cinder eventually flew straight at him again, this time grabbing him and lifting him into the air, where she proceeded to slam him into the floor. She lifted him up again, this time tossing him against a wall.

Pyrrha could only watch as Jaune endured so much pain, trying to fight this impossible enemy. She crawled to his side, where she found his head bleeding, with a trickle of blood running down over his left eye, and his face adorned with cuts and a bruise. "Stay back, Pyrrha," he warned her as he struggled to his feet. He rushed at Cinder, who stood still without putting up her guard. Jaune swiped at her a few times, where she ducked and sidestepped his swipes. On one strike, she caught his blade with her magic-infused hand, holding it in place while Jaune struggled to bring it down. He raised his blade from her grasp and swung again, where Cinder leapt backwards out of his reach.

"You have no chance to defeat me, boy, especially someone like you, with no control over his Aura," Cinder chuckled with amusement. Overhead, the Grimm Dragon let out a victorious roar. Suddenly, a blast appeared behind the Grim Dragon, attacking it and causing it to shriek in pain. "WHAT?!" Cinder cried, turning her attention to the Grimm Dragon. Down below, surrounding Beacon Tower, Atlesian Pulse Cannons have been deployed by Ironwood, who called them in from Atlas on an emergency call from Atlas, who instantly shipped them via aircraft. The cannons all primed and fired onto the Grimm Dragon, who let out another shriek before falling from the tower dead, where it faded into dust. "NO!" Cinder screamed.

"It's over, witch!" Jaune told her. "You might as well run now before the Atlesian Military gets you."

"No, it's not over yet!" Cinder hissed at him, her entire body igniting in fire as she strolled towards him with one of her swords. Jaune swung his shield at her when she drew near, but Cinder used her magic to swat it away without even lifting a finger. Jaune lunged forward in a stab, and Cinder dodged it and slapped her hand to his right shoulder, burning through his clothes and burning his skin, making him scream in agony. She then drove her sword into his stomach, spilling blood onto the floor. Pyrrha let out a horrifying scream, yelling for Jaune.

Jaune coughed up blood, splashing it onto his front and floor. He gazed upon the victorious grinning face of Cinder before she withdrew her blade, allowing him to fall to his knees. His shield fell with a clatter, but his hand maintained a death grip on his sword, though Jaune felt it was due to his shoulder now burned and his skin cracking off, forever forming a burn scar. His free hand went to his stomach, and when he withdrew it, blood stained his glove. "Watch as I kill the girl now," Cinder taunted him as she made her way to Pyrrha while Jaune fell to the floor, breathing heavily as blood left him. His eyes were transfixed upon Pyrrha as his vision distorted, but he could still hear her scream for him.

Suddenly, a memory flooded back. A memory of himself talking with his great-great-grandfather, Jaundice Arc.

 _"Grandpa, how old are you now?" young Jaune asked the withered old man, who sat in his wheelchair. His grandfather, Jaundice, was extremely old, practically ancient, as he was constantly wheezing, his body was riddled with arthritis, and his mind corrupted by dementia._

 _"How old? Let's see…I believe I am 93 years old now," he answered with a weak smile._

 _"Wow! You must've seen a lot during your life!"_

 _Jaundice gave a wheezing, yet lively chuckle. "Yes, I've seen a lot during my time, and I've accomplished so much. And yet it seems the Gods don't want to take me."_

 _"What do you mean?" Jaune, who was sitting in a small chair of his own, went to the floor and scooted closer to his aging grandfather. "Why won't the Gods take you, grandpa?"_

 _"Well, I've always believed that a man doesn't leave this world until he has accomplished whatever task the Gods have planned for him, whatever it may be," Jaundice answered._

 _"A task…" Jaune repeated. "Well, I believe my task is to become a great warrior like you, grandpa!"_

 _Jaundice smiled, the brightest smile he has given in many years. "I believe you will one day, Jaune."_

Jaune regained full conscious just as Cinder reached Pyrrha. Jaune lifted himself up, clutching both his blade and his stomach wound. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" he shouted at Cinder, making her turn back to him.

"I'm impressed by your refusal to die," Cinder complimented, though it was short-lived. "However, I am getting tired of you interfering." She raised a hand and a ball of fire spew from her palm, striking Jaune and setting him ablaze.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried in tears.

Jaune did not fall, however, and within a couple seconds, the flames died instantly, revealing a standing Jaune enveloped in a white Aura. His hand drew away from his wound, for he suddenly could not feel its pain anymore, nor could he feel the pain in his shoulder either. His Aura suddenly changed appearance, shifting around his body into the form of transparent full plate armor.

Cinder, unimpressed by Jaune's newfound power, fired another fireball at him, but when it hit him, it exploded around his new Aura Armor, where Jaune was completely unfazed by it. With a yell, he rushed at Cinder with a yell. Cinder leapt over him with a burst of magic and jumped away, firing at him, all of which were absorbed by his Aura Armor. Jaune rushed at her once more, his body anew with energy. He swung at her with one powerful strike, cutting across her chest and making her shrink back. Cinder leapt into the air, far out of Jaune's reach. She touched her stomach, and found her hand covered in her blood.

Jaune quickly scooped up his shield and stood poised between Cinder and Pyrrha. "I will never allow you to harm Pyrrha!" he vowed.

Cinder realized that she would not be able to win so long as his Semblance held, and she knew the Atlesian Military would arrive at the tower soon enough. "I will remember this, Jaune Arc!" Cinder bellowed to him before she turned and flew through the sky, where she disappeared into the distance.

Jaune's Aura Armor vanished and the pain in his stomach and shoulder returned. He let out an agonizing groan and he collapsed against a large piece of the tower's roof, where he allowed his sword and shield to fall to the floor, allowing him to grip his stomach wound.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried. Jaune glanced over and saw her crawling her towards him, the arrow's tail sticking from her ankle. When she reached him, she scooted next to him and rested her hands upon his.

"I'm sorry. I got hurt," he moaned. His hands squeezed his wound, causing a little blood to squelch out. "I think I'm going to die…"

"No! I won't let you!" Pyrrha argued. She moved his hands aside and inspected his wounds. His stomach was bleeding, but the sword made a clean stab, narrowing missing his vital organs, but Jaune would still bleed out without proper treatment. Pyrrha grabbed Crocea Mors and took it to her ponytail, reducing her hair down to neck length, surprising Jaune for a moment. She pressed the clump of hair to his wound and had him hold it there while she undid her sash. "It may not be horsehair, but it'll suffice for absorption." She then tied her sash tightly around his stomach, holding the hair in place.

Once that was done, Pyrrha inspected his shoulder, which made her slap her hands to her mouth in a gasp. Most of the skin on his front shoulder has burned away, exposing flesh underneath, some of which was cooked by Cinder's fire. She touched a shaky finger to it and she could hear the hiss of his flesh, making Jaune wince in pain. "I'm sorry…" she whimpered with tears in her eyes. "This is my fault…"

"Don't say that!" Jaune told her, taking her hands in his, despite moving his right arm caused him pain. "You had no idea what could happen up here. I didn't either."

"But you're hurt!" Jaune pulled her onto his lap and embraced her.

"But we're alive, both of us," he retorted. "If I wasn't here with you, you would've been killed…" Pyrrha knew he was right. She leaned into him and shed her tears.

"I love you, Jaune," she whispered to him amidst her tears.

"I love you too, Pyrrha," he answered back. She pulled away to look upon Jaune, her hero, and she closed the gap between them with a loving kiss, which he accepted.

They stayed together for a moment when the sound of an engine rang out through the sky. They broke apart and saw a medical bullhead hovering near the tower, which landed and took them onboard, where they were taken outside of Vale to the Vale Encampment where everyone else retreated to as Vale fell to the Grimm within.

However, this was only the first step. In time, The Huntsmen and Huntresses would later reclaim Vale and drive out the Grimm, and this great event for mankind would be recorded forever in the pages of history, which would begin with this:

 _"When Vale fell to the Grimm and the Grimm Dragon awakened from its long slumber thanks to to the Red Witch, Cinder Fall, one young man––a student of Beacon Academy, in fact––named Jaune Arc did not hesitate to race to Beacon Tower to confront her in battle. While Beacon Tower fell, resulting in the CCTS shutting down, Jaune Arc battled Cinder Fall to a standstill, allowing the Atlesian Military time to destroy the Grimm Dragon, forcing the Red Witch to flee. Jaune Arc became a hero of the people when word of his bravery spread among his fellow students and the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale. In time, he would help lead the expedition to reclaim Vale, and in time, he would defeat Cinder Fall and bring the Red Witch to justice. And in time, he would become known as the 'Arc Knight' to many, forever transcribed among the many great 'Heroes of Remnant'."_


	4. Arkos Christmas

Team JNPR celebrates their first Christmas at Beacon, with Jaune and Pyrrha exchanging gifts, stories, and fulfilling a Christmas tradition under the mistletoe.

* * *

It was an early Christmas morning in Team JNPR's dorm room. The tree was lit with wonderful lights, decorations, and tinsel, the entire room adorned with wonderful, Christmas-themed decorations, and the members of Team JNPR were sound asleep in their beds, wanting to enjoy a little more sleep so they would be full of energy and ready for the morning. However, a young, bubbly, young woman had other plans.

"WAKE UP, EVERYONE! IT'S TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!" Nora whooped as she sprang out of bed and onto the other three, awakening all three in her plight, except for Ren, who dove out of bed to avoid his ecstatic friend.

"Nora, why couldn't you let us sleep a while longer?" Jaune moaned as he rubbed his stomach, now sore from Nora's impact.

"Silly! You always gotta get up early for Christmas! Nora hooted as she threw on a red Santa hat and Santa beard. "HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Nora dashed into the kitchen to make hot cocoa for everyone, forcing Ren to go after her before she had a chance to make a mess.

While the two were doing that, Pyrrha threw a red sweater on herself and slipped on her fuzzy slippers, and Jaune threw on his Pumpkin Pete hoodie over his Pumpkin Pete pajamas. The two headed for the JNPR Christmas tree that sat near the fireplace. Jaune started up a warm fire while Pyrrha assured that the tree and the gifts under it were in rightful order. "Just think, this will be our first Christmas together as a team," Jaune remarked. "What are your Christmas' like back home, Pyrrha?"

"Just the normal sort of Christmas. My family and I are together, we exchange gifts, have a big family dinner, and say our goodbyes. Although, my family often remarks and gossips about my championship winnings during our dinners," Pyrrha explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up that sort of thing." Jaune excused himself by tending to the fire, poking at it and adding some small wood and a little bit of newspaper, hoping to avoid embarrassing himself further.

"What have your Christmas' with your family been like?" Pyrrha suddenly asked. "I imagine Christmas with the Arcs must be more exciting than my own family."

"Eh, it kinda is," Jaune answered, turning his attention to her. "Usually, we wait for my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, the whole family, to arrive. Once everyone has dropped off the gifts at the tree, hung up their coats, and settled in, the family starts off with the usual family talk."

"Family talk?" Pyrrha asked.

"Stuff about how my sisters and I are doing with our lives, any new or eventful things that happened recently, the usual."

"Oh, I see!"

"Yeah. Often times, I would always leave the room when the family talk happens cuz I always found it boring, but I'd overhear my parents talk about how I'm the lowest in my classes or how I'm not all they hoped I would be."

"Oh…" Pyrrha tried to say something to help him feel better, but…

"But it's okay. I may not have impressed my family then, but I will in time, especially when I graduate as a full-fletched Huntsman," Jaune assured her, earning a smile from her.

"Well, you've already impressed me and you continue to do so," Pyrrha told him, adding onto his well-being. Jaune flashed her a smile of gratitude.

"HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Nora yelled, bouncing into the sitting room with a mug of hot cocoa while wearing a Santa hat and white beard around her. Ren followed behind her with a tray holding mugs for the rest of the team, which he distributed to Jaune and Pyrrha.

Once Nora had calmed down enough, everyone sat around the fire and gathered the gifts they themselves got for everyone. Jaune went first, being the team leader. "Nora, this is for you," he began, handing "Nora Claus" a big box, which the girl took with glee. Nora tore the wrapping apart like a feasting wolf and discovered a box of grenade shells inside, all patterned with pink hearts.

"Thank you, Jaune!" Nora squeed with a giggle.

"Ren, this is yours," continued Jaune, handing Ren a red and green-wrapped box. Ren opened it and found an assortment of scented candles, Samurai's new strawberry-scented shampoo, and a handheld battery-operated back massager. "I figured you could use this sort of stuff, especially the candles and massager since you're always tense after a mission."

"I will use them to their fullest potential. Thank you, Jaune," Ren smiled, setting the gift aside.

"And last, but certainly not least, for you, Pyrrha," Jaune told her, handing her her gift.

Pyrrha unwrapped the box, and upon opening it, she found the rabbit face of Pumpkin Pete upon a hoodie staring up at her. She let out a gasp as she lifted it out and unfolded it. "Jaune, it's wonderful!" she admitted, quickly trading her red sweater for it. She patted the bunny pattern upon it and marveled herself with the biggest smile, then she leapt onto Jaune and gave him a big hug.

The gift exchanges continued as normal. Ren gave Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha new polish for their weapons and armor, as well as more grenade shells and a boop for Nora, a new red sash for Pyrrha, and a warm hat for Jaune for their missions in cold environments. Nora's gifts were simple: boops for everyone and double boops for Ren. Pyrrha gave Nora a new ribbon for her combat uniform, gave Ren Dust ammo for his Stormflower, and for Jaune, she gave him five brand-new Pumpkin Pete hoodies, two for his combat uniform and the rest for casual wear.

"Where did you get all these, Pyrrha?!" Jaune asked aspirated. He highly doubted that Pyrrha ate two hundred and fifty Pumpkin Pete's cereal boxes to get him these hoodies, like how he did to get Pyrrha hers.

"Well, being the sponsor of Pumpkin Pete's cereal does come with its own perks, such as getting to have as many of their hoodies as I'd like, which allowed me to get those for you," Pyrrha quickly explained with a smile.

"Oh…" Jaune mumbled, feeling disappointed with his choice of gift for his partner. Pyrrha was quick to notice and was about to explain, but…

"C'mon, everyone! Let's go show off our gifts to Team RWBY and the others!" boomed Nora, bounding for the door with her gifts in tow, but before she left, she hung up some mistletoe above the door, which Ren shook his head to as he followed after her. As he went under the mistletoe, Nora planted her lips onto his and dragged him towards RWBY's door while he struggled.

Jaune headed for the door, now feeling upset knowing that Pyrrha could get a Pumpkin Pete hoodie whenever she wants, and he was already at the door when he heard "Jaune…" He turned and Pyrrha went towards him. "Jaune, you need to understand that I love your gift," she assured him, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I never got something like a Pumpkin Pete's hoodie from anyone before."

"I be you've got a ton from modeling for the cereal," Jaune scoffed, looking away.

"I only have one, actually, and it's collecting dust in my closet at home in Mistral. It was a gift from the Pumpkin Pete company as thanks for modeling for the cereal and for advertising for them, and they said I could have as many as I would," she explained, but Jaune noticed that she felt uneasy about it, like she was not proud of her celebrity benefit. "The only time I ever used that little benefit was to get you your hoodies. And your hoodie means more to me than a thousand hoodies that I could get for free." Pyrrha gave him a sincere smile. Jaune smiled back and stretched out his arms to her, which she accepted, coming close for a hug.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. She told him it was alright and hugged him tighter. "Um, Pyrrha?" The both broke apart and saw the mistletoe hanging above them, and both began to quietly blush.

"Well…It is a Christmas tradition to kiss under the mistletoe, after all," Pyrrha commented.

"Yeah! Kiss the girl, Jauney boy!" Yang called from across the hall. The door to Team RWBY was wide open and everyone was watching them, with Nora and Yang in front cheering the two on.

Jaune and Pyrrha smiled at them then turned to each other. "Merry Christmas, Pyrrha," Jaune whispered as he inched close to her.

"Merry Christmas, Jaune." Pyrrha closed the gap, sealing them both in a passionate kiss as they held each other close. The others cheered and hooted for them both, until Jaune closed the door on them with himself still kissing Pyrrha.

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS, ARKOS FANS!**


	5. Jaune Arc, King of Vale 1

An AU set in RWBY's future where, in the aftermath of an attack on Salem's Lair where humanity is victorious, Jaune is crowned King of Vale.

* * *

Jaune and Oscar were sitting together in the corner of a small restaurant in Vale discussing something important. "The people have chosen you, Jaune," Oscar informed him. Even to this day, Jaune could always recognize whenever he was speaking to Oscar or to Ozpin, and this time, it was Ozpin.

"Me? I…I am honored…but why me?" Jaune asked. He fidgeted his fingers together and shifted in his seat, one of his usual habits he exhibits whenever he is nervous.

"You know full well why. You lead the army of Men and Faunus against Cinder alongside Ruby. You defeated Cinder Fall, and not only that, but you freed everyone she had captured and held prisoner."

Jaune recalled that day vividly, even if it was nearly a year ago. He could recall every Grimm he slaughtered as he and his army plowed their way through the Grimm legions and into the castle. He could remember how he broke apart from Ruby and his friends to find Cinder, who he found down int the dungeons. The ringing of steel echoed in his ears as Crocea Mors met each of Cinder's blades, until he finally broke through her defenses, blasted away her Fall magic with his Aura, and plunged his blade through her heart. He remembered how he forced her attention on him, forcing the Fall Maiden's magic to seek out a random new successor because she thought of him.

"So I killed Cinder. That doesn't make me suitable to be king," Jaune retorted.

"And what of your great-great-grandfather, Jaundice? He was the King of Vale during the Great War, after all. That makes you a legitimate heir to the throne."

Jaune leaned forward in his seat. "Vale hasn't had a king since the Great War!"

"And the people have voted that now is the time for someone proper to rule Vale. The people have chosen you, Jaune. You lead the armies against Salem, you killed the Fall Witch, you and Ruby both brought peace to Remnant…You saved Pyrrha…"

Jaune suddenly lost his voice and fell into the back of his chair. Of all the things that happened on that night––the night that made history––Pyrrha was the most vivid.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _Jaune had just defeated Cinder, forcing the magic within her to leave, seeking out a random, new successor. Jaune applied some Aura to his shoulder where Cinder cut him, and the wound instantly healed. He grabbed the key ring and dashed for the cell block, where he found his old allies locked inside. Allies that he saw got burned into glowing ashes and teleported to Salem's Castle. He found Emerald and Mercury huddled together in a tiny, dinky cell; their punishment for betraying Cinder and revealing the location of the Castle to the kingdoms. "Jaune?" Emerald moaned when she saw him. Jaune opened the cell and let them out, directing them towards a medical squad within the castle near the entrance. He continued on, where he released Velvet, Cardin, and Yatsuhashi within one cell, Ren in another, Neptune and Scarlet in a third, and on and on. "Get upstairs, get medical attention, and if any of you are ready and able, fight for us!" Jaune ordered them all upon releasing everyone. Everyone cheered and headed upstairs while Jaune stayed to ensure he did not miss anyone._

 _Tucked farthest away from the prison's stairway entrance, Jaune found a tiny cell built into an alcove of stone and rock. The cell was barely big enough for one person and contained only a small stone slab to serve as a seat. Inside the cell was the crumbled body of a young woman covered in cuts, bruises, and scars. Jaune could not see her face, but he recognized her long, fiery-red hair. "PYRRHA!" Jaune cried as he tugged on the cell door. He completely forgot about the keys and instead broke the lock with the pommel of his sword and swung the cell door open, making it crash against the stone wall. He fell before figure and pulled her into his arms, where he saw her staring blankly at him, her eyes seemingly void of life. Directly in between her cleavage was a visible scar, a memento of the arrow that struck her atop Beacon Tower. The arrow that locked her position atop the tower and teleported her to Salem's Castle. "Pyrrha! It's me! It's Jaune!' he told her, cupping his hand onto her cheek, but she gave no response. "Pyrrha…please…" He channeled Aura into his hand and applied it to her skin, warming her up. Pyrrha suddenly hummed and leaned into his hand._

 _For Pyrrha, she had spent nearly five years in her cell without any contact aside from Salem, and the isolation and bitter living conditions have dulled her mind, but when Jaune touched her with his Aura, she recognized its warm touch right away. Her mind suddenly sprang back to life and she moved her body again. Her head drooped forward onto Jaune's, knocking their heads together, and suddenly… "Jaune?" she moaned, gazing up at him._

 _Tears rushed to Jaune's eyes and he pulled her close to himself. "I'm here…" he whispered before he gave her a loving kiss. "…It's okay now…I'm here…" He pulled away and gave her a comforting smile. "Hello again." He remained down in the prison for a while, holding her close, never wanting to let go of her again, all while she clung to him._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Jaune, you are the best choice to become our next Vale King. Our commanders believe it, and the people of Vale believe it too. If you become king, you could lead Vale to better prosperity in this new age of peace," Oscar finished before standing up. "And while I wish I didn't have to say this, you don't really have much of a choice either." Oscar took his leave, leaving Jaune alone. Jaune eventually went home, where he was greeted by Pyrrha; she has been staying at his home ever since she fully recovered from the Battle of Salem. Jaune loved it whenever he came home, because Pyrrha's smile and hugs always brightened even the worst of his days.

"I'm home," he called to her before she came in and gave him a big hug.

"How did the meeting go? Pyrrha asked him. Jaune has always told her everything, and she knows about the kingdom's decision to appoint a king to rule over Vale, just as Jaune's great-great-grandfather Jaundice did during the time of the Great War. Jaune repeated everything Oscar told him, and Pyrrha gave him a warm smile. "I have to agree with Oscar, you are the perfect candidate for this."

"All because I lead an army against Salem and because I'm a 'natural-born strategist'," Jaune argued.

"Not just that, but you have a good heart, one that always knows the right thing to do, no matter the cost, and you are not just strong, but wise and courageous. I would be proud to have you as my king, and one that I would dutifully serve, just as I was when you were named my leader," Pyrrha assured him. Pyrrha's words rose Jaune's spirits a little, for he knew she was correct. Maybe he was the proper choice for such a role. Maybe this is what his life was leading to. He embraced her in a loving hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Pyr," he whispered to her. "You will come to my coronation, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Jaune."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Many from all over Remnant gathered in Vale to witness the coronation of Vale's new king. News that Jaune Arc was to be crowned king spread everywhere, attracting all sorts of people to witness, especially the most important of the high-class nobles, Huntsmen, officials, and far more arrived to witness the crowning of their new king. Not only that, but many news teams were on set to broadcast this world-changing event to all four kingdoms. Pyrrha stood in the front row among her friends and Jaune's family; Jaune requested they stand up front alongside Oscar, General Ironwood, the Headmasters and Headmistress of the four academies, and more. "I must admit, when I first saw Jaune back when we were in Beacon, I'd never think he would grow up to become a king of all things," Weiss casually told Pyrrha, whom she was standing next to. "I mean, I always knew I would take over the Schnee Dust Company one day, but Jaune as King of Vale? Jaune as Guardian of Remnant? Jaune as the Leader of the Four Armies? I'd have laugh if you told me he would amount to such things." Pyrrha gave a confused chuckle while Weiss looked upon the throne that Jaune will soon sit upon. "And now look at him, about to rule over all of Vale after leading an army against the Grimm Queen. I must say, I'm proud of him." Pyrrha flashed a smile at Weiss.

In a room in the back, two handmaidens were dressing Jaune in his coronation robes while Oscar waited by the door. Jaune had to spin around a few times as each handmaiden either slipped his arms through sleeves, put robes onto him, adorn his body in jewelry, and put fine boots onto his feet. Once they had finished dressing him, the handmaidens departed, leaving Jaune alone with Oscar. "You'll be expected to give a speech detailing what you intend to do as Vale's first king since the Great War, so you know," Oscar advised the king-to be. "Also, you will be expected to marry a woman to be your queen as well."

"Wait…what?!" Jaune blurted out, making Oscar chuckle.

"That's correct. Now, the old Vale Council, which will now become your new council, recommends that you marry someone wealthy and powerful to ensure good ties between kingdoms. They're sure to recommend Weiss Schnee, head of the Schnee Dust Company, as she is still single, as well as young and a former classmate of yours…but knowing you, Jaune, I imagine you have someone…more ordinary in mind?"

Jaune stopped observing himself in the mirror to ponder what Oscar said, and the wise young man knew exactly what Jaune was thinking.

"I suppose Pyrrha is just some ordinary woman now, given that everyone has forgotten her celebrity persona after five years. I remember when she discovered this, she felt overjoyed to be able to walk down the street without having people recognize her as the 'Invincible Girl' or whatever."

"As I recall, you were the only one who didn't recognize her celebrity image upon meeting her. In fact, it was recognizing her as the face of Pumpkin Pete's cereal that made you realize she was a big deal, wasn't it?" Now it was Ozpin.

Jaune slipped a chuckle. "Yeah, that was it. I thought it was funny how I ate so much of the cereal to get my old Pumpkin Pete hoodie only to go off the cereal just when Pyrrha started modeling for the thing." Oscar smiled seeing Jaune reminiscence about the old days. "Oscar, could I marry Pyrrha? I mean, if I refuse to marry someone like Weiss, couldn't it damage our ties to the other kingdoms?"

"Of course not. Having such a marriage would make it easier, yes, but not required. Besides, both you and Weiss are friends. She trusts and respects you, and will gladly aid you in whatever you intend to do for Vale's future for good intentions. I'll leave you to think it over, but be quick, the ceremony is about to begin." Oscar took his leave, leaving Jaune alone. A few minutes later, and a handmaiden came to escort Jaune around to the front of the main hall.

Out in the main hall, the high priest came out before everyone. Near him, a young man held a cushion bearing a golden crown encrusted with many gems and a large, brilliant sapphire engraved in the central headpiece. "We are gathered here today to witness the crowning of our new king!" boomed the high priest. "The Kingdom of Vale has not had a king since the times of the Great War, and it was that previous King, Jaundice Arc, who ended the war. Now, we are here to crown his descendent, Jaune Arc, who lead the Armies of the Four Kingdoms against the Grimm Queen, as our new king to lead us further into this age of peace." Nothing spectacular, but it was the truth.

A choir of fanfare echoed out, turning everyone's attention towards the back of the hall, where Jaune stood dressed in his robes and with his sword at his hip. He marched down the center row, registering everyone that was watching him. Some glared at him with approval, some with disbelief, and some were simple looks. Jaune came up the short stairs and came before the throne made for him. Atop the throne, Jaune could see the Arc crest built above it, giving off a vibrant yellow sheen.

Jaune kneeled before the high priest, who took up the golden crown and placed it upon his head. "And so you, Jaune Arc of Vale, is now King of Vale!" Jaune stood up, and upon doing so, the entire hall erupted in applause. Jaune looked upon the people he now rules and must lead. Once the applause had subsided, Jaune knew he would have to speak to the people.

"This world is a strange, unjust world full of mystery and wonders," Jaune began. "The four kingdoms have emerged victorious against the Grimm Queen Salem. We have united together in peace and Mankind and the Faunus live together in harmony. However, peace cannot last forever; we can only delay the troubles and extend peace a while longer. The Grimm Queen may be dead, but the Grimm still haunt Remnant, and it is likely that they shall until the end of time. As your new king, I swear I will maintain our peace and I shall do everything in my power to fight the Grimm." A round of applause. "I intend to create a group of highly-trained Huntsmen and Huntresses who, after swearing allegiance to Vale, will serve as knights. These Knights of the Holy Spear, as I shall call them, will answer to I, but they will serve the people. In time, when their numbers grow large enough, they will spread to the many towns and villages outside of Vale's and the coastline cities' protective walls. With knights at every town and village, casualties of Grimm shall decrease immensely." Everyone applauded at this new action. Some even recognized that Jaune wants to name his knights after the legend of Aziela, the Goddess of Victory, who was said to wield a magical spear in battle. "I know that I am young and inexperienced to be a king, even after everything I've done in my life, but what I've done is of the life of a warrior, not a king, I understand that. Which is why I will not rule alone. I will take someone to be my wife and your queen." A round of murmurs and gasps emerged as people's minds buzzed as to who would be chosen for such an important role. "I know the perfect woman for such a role, and she is someone who I trust above everyone else. Someone who has been there for me long before I became a king, a general, and a Huntsman."

Jaune descended the stairs and went towards Pyrrha. Suffice to say, everyone, Pyrrha especially, was shocked by this move. He moved close to Pyrrha, took her hand in his, and gave her a warm smile. "Pyrrha, I love you, and I know this is rather sudden, but will you marry me?" Even being her king, he spoke to her just as he would back when they were at Beacon years ago.

Pyrrha suddenly teared up. While her relationship with Jaune has grown more intimate since he brought her home from Salem's Castle, she never expected him to do something like this so suddenly. She nodded, and so Jaune lead her up before the throne. The high priest returned to them, now holding a chord made of silver rope. This rope serves a symbol of love and marriage and has been blessed in holy water, and one is always used to bind newlyweds together. The high priest bounded Jaune and Pyrrha's wrists together. "On this most holy of days, we unite these two souls together in holy matrimony," he declared while Jaune and Pyrrha stared unto each other. "Your Majesty, do you take this woman to be your wife, to have and to hold, to cherish and love until Death do you part?"

"No, I won't," Jaune declared, surprising everyone, especially Pyrrha, who's mind suddenly thought that this was a farce towards her, but Jaune's smile did not fade. He drew close to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, I will always love you, and I swear that when Death takes us both, I will still love you, even into death. That's a promise, and you know full well that an Arc never goes back on his promises." Pyrrha teared up again, but she held in her joyous cries.

"Pyrrha Nikos, do you take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, to cherish and love…even if Death takes you both?" the high priest continued, changing the rites to fit Jaune's vow.

"Yes! Yes, I do!" Pyrrha cried. She jumped into his arms and sealed their union with a passionate kiss, which Jaune accepted.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, king and queen," he finished with a smile, feeling content at seeing such passionate young love. Everyone erupted into thunderous applause while Jaune and Pyrrha stayed glued together. Their kiss felt far different then their past kisses; it felt akin to their first kiss during the Battle of Beacon, when everything changed for the two of them, but far greater in meaning.

The two eventually broke apart, allowing the high priest to remove the silver rope from their wrists. A young man with a cushion bearing a golden queen's crown approached his king, where Jaune took the crown into his hands. Pyrrha knelt before him and he placed the crown upon her head. "Pyrrha Nikos Arc, my love, I hereby name you Queen of Vale!" he declared. Pyrrha stood again, this time greeted by joyous applause from everyone. The two faced their subjects and clasped hands together.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Long after the coronation ceremony had ended and the masses have left, Jaune and Pyrrha were together in their new bedroom in the castle. Pyrrha has already gotten undressed and climbed into their four-poster king-sized bed while Jaune was fiddling with one of his robes in a bid to get it off. "I can still hardly believe we're married now, Pyrrha. Not only that, but king and queen of Vale! I swear, if I was younger and was told I'd be here right now, I would call them out on being crazy." The two laughed. "I gotta say, I'm looking forward to relaxing for a bit, especially since we'll be planning our honeymoon soon."

"Well, don't relax just yet, Jaune," Pyrrha purred at him. He glanced over at her and noticed that she was completely naked in bed and was eying him like a predator would eye its prey. "We still have to consummate our marriage." She beckoned him to come over, which made him blush a deep red. He finished undressing and climbed into bed with her. He gave her a passionate kiss, then pulled at the drawstrings and the four drapes fell down the sides of the bed, enshrouding them in privacy.


	6. Pyrrha's Nightmare

(Requested by a reader) Pyrrha has a nightmare in the middle of the night and seeks comfort from a sleeping Jaune.

I'm going to try writing more short one shots from here on to onset the long delays between longer one shots.

* * *

Pyrrha lied in bed, tossing and turning in place. Her hands clenched up, her knees folded up to her head, and she suddenly bit her lip in her sleep. She was having a terrible nightmare, one that had her standing amongst a valley of dead Huntsmen and Huntresses. She gave a sudden gasp, for directly before her were the lifeless bodies of Teams RWBY and JNPR. "Jaune!" she cried upon spying his body, rushing to him. She spun him over and saw the gaping hole in his stomach, blood staining all his clothes. Tears rushed to her eyes now that she held her beloved in her arms, pulling him into a tight hug as she wept. A collective roar echoed across the sky, and Pyrrha spotted an army of large Grimm heading straight for her. Dropping Jaune, she took up Milo and Akouo in hand and formed a stance, even though she knew there was no hope for her. As the Grimm inched closer, Pyrrha's knees began shaking before giving out, forcing her to the ground. "I…I can't…" she wept as the front Grimm leapt upon her.

Just before the Grimm could rip her body apart, Pyrrha jolted awake with a cry. Realizing it was but a dream, she took her time to calm her racing heart and run her fingers through her now-sweaty hair. _It was just a dream,_ she told herself as she took deep breaths. _I'm here at Beacon, in my dorm with my team._ She took a look around and, even with in the dark, made out the sleeping bodies of her teammates. Jaune was curled up on one side of his bed with the covers around him. Nora was sprawled in her bed, the blankets strewn about, and the girl herself letting out a harsh snore. Ren was the polar opposite of Nora, lying on his side in the center of his bed with the blankets tucking him in like a can of sardines. _Jaune…_ Pyrrha can still vividly remember how he appeared in her dream and it made her shiver. Grabbing her pillow, she tiptoed to his bed and got down on her knees to his level.

"Jaune…" she whispered to him. No answer, aside from Jaune's normal breathing. "Jaune…" she repeated, shaking the mattress with her hand. Still no answer. "Jaune…" This time, Pyrrha gave his cheek a gentle poke, which made him stir in place. "I'm sorry to wake you," she quickly added as his eyes opened.

"What is it, Pyr?" Jaune groaned.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I…I had a nightmare. Could I…could I spend the rest of the night with you, please?" she asked him.

Without saying a word, Jaune scooted over and lifted the blankets, granting Pyrrha entry. She laid her pillow upon the bed and scooted in under with him. "Thank you," she whispered to him. Jaune gave her a muffled groan and shifted to get comfortable. Pyrrha was about to fall asleep again when Jaune suddenly whispered to her.

"So what sort of nightmare did you have?"

"A terrible one…I dreamed that you all were dead and that I was all alone to face an army of Grimm…" she admitted. Pyrrha felt Jaune's hand upon hers, which surprised her for a moment.

"It's okay. It was just a dream," he told him. Even in the dark, she could make out his smile. "I'm still here, and I promise I won't go away. That's a promise." Jaune's hands found themselves on Pyrrha and he pulled her into a hug. Pyrrha smiled and leaned into him, accepting his embrace.

"Thank you, Jaune, really." He released her, but instead of returning to her half of the bed, she stayed directly next to him. "I feel much better now." She reached up and kissed his cheek. He in turn wrapped his arms around her while she leaned into his chest, and the two fell asleep together. Pyrrha's mind was not plagued by nightmares for the remainder of the night, but instead with a wonderful dream of her and Jaune having a happy life together, like the happy ending of a fairy tale.


	7. The Grimm Knight Fight

Jaune fights a Grimm Knight, a tall and powerful humanoid Grimm clad in thick armor wielding a greatsword and shield; the Grimm Knight will also appear in my The Game The Gods Play series as well.

* * *

Cinder watched as the giant Grimm Knight threw Jaune around like a rag doll, all while the boy was helpless in defending himself. "Fight all you want, but you cannot defeat the Grimm Knight! Did you really think you could be a hero, like your little girlfriend before you!?" Cinder victoriously spat. She turned to the Grimm Knight. "Have your fun with him and report back to me. I'll need you to decimate the student forces at Haven so we can obtain the Relic." The Grimm Knight gave a positive growl and Cinder disappeared in a flash of fire.

Jaune laid sprawled upon the ground hurt with pain. He struggled to stand up, but he could not. He spied his sword nearby, which was stabbed into the ground. "A…hero…" he muttered.

 _He remembers back to when he was younger, the day he was inspired to become strong. He was about 10 then, and three boys bigger than him beat him up and smashed a toy of his to make him cry. They threw him against a chain link fence and hit him some more until he bled. "Hey! What are you up to!?" shouted a voice, which belonged to a broad blond man, who came running towards them._

 _"Let's beat it!" ordered one of the boys, and all three ran. The man reached the spot where Jaune was and watched the boys run. He looked upon Jaune, which was crying to himself with blood dripping from his lip, and to the broken toy on the ground._

 _"You…little…pussy," the man told Jaune, kneeling to his level. Jaune stopped crying for a moment to look upon his father. His father, Foncé, took a deep sigh. "That's what my old man would call me back when I was a weak little shit, just like you…Ah, Jaune…Jaune Jaune Jaune. I named you after your great-great-grandfather, y'know? Grandpa Jaundice was an incredible man back in his time."_

 _"He…He was the King of Vale…" Jaune whimpered._

 _"Yeah…That he was. Jaune, I know you probably won't ever amount to anything incredible that your grandpa has done, but it doesn't give you an excuse to be weak all the time. You gotta get strong and you gotta get brave, you got it?" Jaune weakly nodded. "Now, are you just gonna sit there and swallow all that blood in your mouth, or you gonna spit it out, and go spill theirs instead? Pick the latter, and let's see you become a hero like your grandpa was."_

 _Another memory, this one being the day of Pyrrha's single match against Penny in the Vytal Festival, before things turned dark. "I dunno, I just feel like, compared to the rest of you guys, I'm just too weak for anything amazing," Jaune told Pyrrha that morning as they dressed._

 _"Don't think that!" Pyrrha argued, surprising him. "You're not entirely weak!"_

 _"That…doesn't really help…"_

 _"Everyone has started weak at some point, myself included. You're just at that stage, but with time and training, you will get stronger."_

 _"But…I doubt I could ever be a hero. I always dreamed of becoming a hero like my great-great-grandfather Jaundice…"_

 _Pyrrha giggled. "You're already a hero in my eyes, Jaune."_

Jaune regained conscious and struggled to his feet. He retrieved his sword and stood ready for the Grimm Knight coming towards him.

The Grimm Knight leapt for him, but Jaune rolled aside to avoid its sword strike, but the Grimm Knight swept the young man off his feet. Jaune jumped back up and ran at the Grimm Knight, dodging his blade and striking at his thick armor, leaving only dents. Jaune leapt back out of the Grimm Knight's reach to assess the situation. "I can't pierce his armor like this." Jaune sheathed his blade and transformed the entire weapon into its bastard sword form. He ran at the Grimm Knight again and struck at its armor, making a deeper dent than normal, but not enough to do any actual damage. The Grimm Knight bashed Jaune backwards with its large shield and swung its large greatsword down onto him, forcing him to block it with his own blade. The two fought to claim victory in the clash, with the Grimm Knight pushing Jaune backwards into the ground. Jaune suddenly pushed the greatsword backwards, opening the Grimm Knight's defenses and allowing Jaune to attack, where he hastily slashes at its sword arm; he missed the hand ended up striking right at the shoulder, where his sword slid in between the armor joints and hit flesh. Steel carved through flesh, became drenched in black blood, and the Grimm Knight let out a bloodcurdling screech as its arm left its body, falling to the ground with a SPLAT.

"That's it! I struck at its joints, where it wasn't wearing armor!" Jaune concluded. Jaune switched back to his broadsword for more maneuverability. He leapt forward and struck at the Grimm Knight's groin, in between its steel leggings, forcing the Grimm down onto its knees. He plunged Crocea Mors into its lower stomach, forcing another scream from it before he slapped the blade to its neck and ran it across, slitting its throat and spilling black blood. The Grimm Knight gave a defeated grunt before it fell over, where it then vanished into dust.

"I…did it…" Jaune gasped while catching his breath. "I'm the first to ever kill a Grimm Knight…" He looked down upon Crocea Mors and smirked. "Thanks for believing I could be a hero, Pyrrha, but right now, I gotta go stop that witch."

Jaune dashed off towards Haven Academy, now full of unbound courage and strength, like a true hero would be.


	8. An Expecting Mother

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait for a new chapter. Between the new TGTGP chapter, work, reorganizing my place, and trying to get enough rest, I haven't had much time to work on Book of Arkos/Erotica. The next TGTGP chapter might be done by the end of the month, hopefully.

* * *

Whenever Jaune arrived home from Beacon Academy, Pyrrha would always light up, unable to contain the smile that clung to her lips at his welcoming words. Jaune and Pyrrha came together in a loving embrace, where they shared a kiss. "How was work?" she asked once she had her lips freed of him.

"Same old, same old. It's not the same without you there teaching the students with me though," Jaune told her.

"Obviously, but you know I'll still be on maternity leave for another few months, and even then, I'll have to stay home to take care of our kids."

"Yeah, I know…" His eyes drifted down to her pregnant belly, a perfect round bulge containing their twin children inside. They both have already settled on their names: Kokina for the girl and Kitrino for the boy. "…Just a few months away…I feel so nervous, y'know?"

"I understand, and I'm nervous too, but just think how much our lives will change as parents," she smiled before resting her head on his shoulder.

Jaune rocked her in his arms for a moment as he hummed to ease her. "Hey, how about we go to bed, hm?" he suggested.

"It's only six o'clock, and I still have some dishes left to wash," she argued, despite knowing she would not be able to resist his charm.

"Nah, they can wait. Right now, let's just get you to bed and have you rest up." She failed to resist him, as usual. Jaune put down his bags and guided Pyrrha to their bedroom, taking care to hold her while she walked upon her swollen feet. Ever since the pregnancy began developing in the first few months, Jaune dedicated his time after work to her. He ceased Huntsman missions when they discovered she was pregnant, aside from simple missions with a "SAFE" rating, indicating that there was no absolute risk of danger.

Once they have reached their bedroom, there she felt his gentle kiss. He guided her to their bed, where he helped her out of her clothes and into her pajamas, and then into bed. "You rest here while I finish up those dishes, okay?" She gave him a smile and watched him go.

Pyrrha nestled herself into bed and called up her mother. "Hi, sweetie, how's it going? Those grandchildren inside of you being a pain?" Pandora Nikos joked.

"Only whenever they decide to kick around," Pyrrha chimed. "When was it that you'll be coming over?"

"I'll be there by the end of the month. You and Jaune especially won't have to worry so much once I get there, so just hang tight until I arrive. Send Jaune my love!" Pyrrha hung up, and just in time, as Jaune returned, his hands freshly dried.

"Dishes are done!" he chimed. Jaune changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, where he and Pyrrha embraced with a loving kiss.

"I just got off the phone with mom, and she said she'll be here by the end of the month to help me with the pregnancy," Pyrrha told him.

"Ah, that's good to hear. Maybe I can start taking some extra missions to bring in some extra money, especially with how much this pregnancy has been costing us."

"I'm sorry my pregnant belly is costing us so much!" she grinned, making them both break into giggles. Jaune laid next to his beautiful wife and smiled upon her, and she smiled back. Her red hair was strewn about on her bed side, her emerald eyes gleamed upon him, and her kind smile warmed his entire being. No matter how she looked, whether she looked like a mess that just woke up, pregnant, covered in sweat from working, she was always beautiful to him. He took her hand in his own, lifted it to his lips for a quick peck, then they interlaced their fingers. He truly believed that, ever since they got together years ago, if they had only each other, they'd be just fine. With her at his side, Jaune could do anything.

 _Even raise our children,_ he thought to himself as he observed her pregnant belly. Jaune released her hand in favor of looping his arms around Pyrrha's waist. Jaune gently pushed himself against his lovely wife, meeting her eyes with his own. He was unable to deny her, and his own desire matched hers in any case. He kissed her softly, slowly, and very, very thoroughly. Jaune had cleared his calendar previously, but now he stenciled in the same thing on each and every day upon his mental planner. A simple sentence, but written with great feeling, one that he intends to fulfill without fail:

 _"Make Pyrrha the happiest woman to ever live."_


	9. Freeing a Servant Girl

**A/N:** A short one-shot partially inspired by the movie "Stardust." Good movie, I'd recommend checking it out if you like fantasy action/romance movies like "The Princess Bride."

* * *

Jaune, a lonely and young mercenary, strolled through the bustling marketplace in the lower regions of the city, hoping to get ahold of some cheap supplies for his journey. He weaved in and out of the crowd, hoping to catch sight of something nice at the many stalls containing yelling people, hoping to catch a passerby's attention.

Tucked into a corner was a bright yellow carriage with a stall set up, and sitting upon it was a beautiful young woman with red hair dressed in a vibrant blue dress. Jaune approached the woman, who gave him a kind smile as he approached. "Oi, quit gawking at my servant girl and buy something!" hissed a raven-haired woman near the wagon's stall in a red dress. She glared at Jaune with her fiery eyes for a moment before turning to the servant girl. "I'm heading to the Budding Rose for a pint. Watch the stall and you better sell something before I get back or you'll regret it." The red woman headed off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Well, is there anything you're interested in?" the red-haired woman asked as she strolled to the selection of wares; Jaune noticed a bead of silver rope connecting her ankle to the carriage. There was a a stand holding an assortment of beaded necklaces and bracelets, a basket containing an assortment of flowers, none of which Jaune recognized, another was a jar of murky liquid with something floating in it, there was a wooden cage containing a tiny elephant the size of a rat, and there was a tall glass chamber containing a number of white orbs and a pair of eyeballs staring directly at him. Suddenly, all the white orbs spun around revealing themselves as eyeballs and acted as the first pair, making Jaune stumble backwards.

The servant girl giggled. "I doubt you'd have much use for most of these bobbles my mistress has collected over time. You're a mercenary, aren't you?"

"Um, yes, yes I am," Jaune answered, resting his hand upon his sheathed sword.

"I bet you've seen a lot of places and have had lots of adventures, haven't you?"

"I imagine you've had a fair amount yourself, being the servant girl to a traveler like that woman."

"Not really. She always keeps me locked in the carriage whenever we travel, and we never travel far." Her smile shifted to a sad frown, one that Jaune could see pained her. "Here, I think you'll like this." The servant girl plucked a small white flower from the basket and handed it to Jaune. "This flower is magical, and it will protect you from a fatal wound once every week, so long as it is in your possession." She set it inside his breast pocket and gave him a smile. Jaune fished out his wallet, but the girl refused. "Consider it a gift for listening to a poor servant girl." Again, that sad frown.

"No, I want to give you something, otherwise you'll be punished by your mistress," Jaune insisted, forcing some coins into her hand.

The servant girl smiled again and plucked a dull white flower from the basket. "Hold this with me. This is a Lover's Bloom. It's believed that when two soulmates destined for each other hold it, it will turn a brilliant red." Jaune took hold of it and they both watched as the white petals shifted to a rosy red. They looked upon each other with red in their cheeks.

"My name's Jaune, what's yours?" Jaune asked her, his other hand taking hold of theirs, feeling her warm touch.

"Pyrrha." He smiled and urged her to follow him. "I cannot follow you, not while I am magically bounded to my mistress." Pyrrha warned him, showing her chained ankle. Jaune huffed to himself and drew his sword. "It won't work, only a magical weapon or the death of my mistress will––!" Pyrrha started, but she gasped when Jaune struck the rope, which separated and evaporated into nothing, freeing her of her bonds. "I…how…?"

Jaune showed Pyrrha his sword. "This sword once belonged to my grandfather, who was a sorcerer a long time ago, and now the blade serves me in my many adventures, though my grandfather had hoped it would serve a hero rather than a mercenary," he explained. Pyrrha smiled and came close to him, stealing his breath away due to the small distance between them.

"It seems that sword has allowed a young mercenary to be quite the hero tonight," she whispered before giving him a kiss. His first kiss. His arms went around her and he deepened the kiss, which was warm and inviting. When they separated, she said "Shall we go?"

"I say it's time for you to have a proper adventure, Pyrrha." Jaune took hold of her hand and the two disappeared into the crowd, where Pyrrha's life truly began, and it all started with a simple mercenary who freed her.


	10. I Will Love You All Our Days

**A/N:** Inspired by a short Arkos prompt of Jaune and Pyrrha enjoying each other's company in bed.

* * *

 _We deserve this time together,_ Jaune and Pyrrha both thought as they laid together in his bed in their Beacon dorm. Both of were half-naked, saved only by their underwear, and Ren and Nora were away on a mission, leaving them alone together. They both have been dating for a little over a year now, yet both knew that they were staying together until their end of days.

Jaune marveled upon his lovely girlfriend, who was lying beside him with the blankets pulled over her cleavage to keep herself covered; a pointless move, as the only thing of her that he wanted to see was her beautiful face. "This is nice, isn't it? Just you and me alone to spend time together?" he asked her. His hand reached for her, where his fingers caught themselves in her unbound red hair.

"Yes, yes it is," she said, scooting closer to him. He suddenly snatched her into his arms and rolled her on top of him. "Oh yay, the mighty Arc Knight has swept me off my feet!" she giggled.

"Don't worry, your knight in shining armor is here!" he chuckled, holding her close. Red hair tickled his nose and covered his eyes, but Jaune merely laughed and kissed Pyrrha tenderly. She kissed him back, cupping her hands around the back of his neck.

"Since Ren and Nora aren't going to be back for a couple more days, maybe we can go out on a date tomorrow? Maybe dinner? A movie? How about laser tag?" Jaune suggested.

"Oooh, laser tag sounds like fun!" Pyrrha chirped.

"Awesome!" Pyrrha pulled Jaune into a sitting up position and wrapped her hands around his back, to which he put his around her hips. His fingers reached over and dug into her butt cheeks, where he squeezed her cheeks a little, making her blush and bite her lip.

"Jaune…do you want to…?" she started, her fingers tracing his chest line.

Jaune's mind was quick to click in what she was getting at. "Oh! I-I mean…" He took her hands off of himself. "…It's just that I don't think I'm ready for…for that, y'know? Don't take that the wrong way, Pyrrha, I do want to do it with you, and there's no one else I would want to be with, I want you to know that."

She brushed her hand along his cheek. "I understand. You're nervous, and I would be too. I won't pressure you, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Thanks." He came close and kissed her neck. "I still want to do these sort of things with you, though. Holding you close, kissing you in places other than your face, touching you, all that kind of stuff," he whispered.

Pyrrha responded by pulling him into a hug. "I want to do all that and more with you too, Jaune," she whispered, giving him a soft kiss.

Jaune returned her kiss with one full of passion, which glued the two together in an embrace. He took her hand and gave it a gentle kiss, making her giggle. Jaune scooted around behind his love, where he ran his hands over her back and kissed her shoulders, which Pyrrha hummed at, feeling his warm touch. She cranked her head around and their lips connected with a light hum from them both.

"I love you so much, Pyrrha," Jaune whispered to her when their lips parted. "I couldn't wish for a better girl to be with."

"Aw, thank you, Jaune. I couldn't ask for anyone better to be with either. You may be among the weakest here at Beacon, but to me, you're the best Huntsman here because you are a hero in more ways than one."

Jaune wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "You may be the best Huntress in our year, but that doesn't matter to me when you're the kindest girl I know, the kind that always has my back and pushes me forward." She took hold of his arms to feel his touch.

"How long do you think we'll be together, Jaune?" she smiled.

He thought it over for a moment. "Until the end of all our days, and then we'll be together up Above, in death. Like you said, it is in passing that we achieve immortality."

Pyrrha rested her forehead against his with a smile. "You always manage to say the sappiest of things, and yet I love it.."

Together, they fell down onto the mattress together and pulled the blankets over themselves, content to spend the night together in a loving embrace. Pyrrha pressed her back against Jaune, rubbing her butt against him, which irked him a little, making her laugh. "Just playing with you, sweetie," she told him before tucking herself in.

Jaune pressed himself against her with his arms around her. Pyrrha hummed at his touch and she quickly fell asleep, content to be in her love's protective arms. He nuzzled himself into Pyrrha's long, flowing red hair, where he hummed into her hair. He kissed her cheek, whispered a "I love you" to her, and fell asleep within time.


	11. Jaune's Letter to Pyrrha

A/N: What if Jaune wrote a letter to Pyrrha akin to Ruby's letter at the end of volume 4?

* * *

 _Hello, Pyrrha,_

 _You might be wondering why I'm writing this letter to you, I mean, what with you gone and all. I wondered the same thing myself, but I decided that I need to tell you some things, especially some things I want to just let out, even if you cannot answer back._

 _First off, I miss you. When you died, I could barely believe it. The shock made me shut away for a while. I kept believing that it was a lie, that you would show up at my door going 'I'm sorry!' like you often do. It wasn't that I didn't believe that you could die, you being the 'Invincible Girl' and all, it was that I couldn't believe that you would just leave me the way you did._ _I kept wondering for months why you did what you did. What was going on with you, Ozpin, and that girl in the Vault. Why you ran back to Beacon to confront Cinder knowing it meant certain death. But most of all, I kept thinking about our kiss in front of Beacon. I was already wrestling with my feelings for you, wondering if I really did love you or if I was just being delusional, but that moment in front of Beacon cemented it, and it was right there when you were about to run to your death that I realized how much you meant to me and how I couldn't bear to lose you. I wish you had waited just a second longer for me to tell you how I felt; maybe I could've stopped you from going with just a few simple words._

 _I love you, Pyrrha. I love you with all my heart. You are my best friend, my partner, my mentor, and the woman I love. No one in this entire world could replace the void you left in me. I will always love you, even now with you gone, and there's no woman in this world better than you that can make me feel the way you made me feel about you. If it's true that AboveRealm exists and you're there right now, I hope you're looking down upon me and watching me right now. I hope you can see how much I've grown since Beacon, and I bet you'd be proud of me too. I just wish you were here to see me. I wish I was this strong back at Beacon. Maybe you would've brought me with you to fight Cinder if I was better then._

 _I bet you've noticed that I took the remains of Milo, Akouo, and your circlet and melted them down to reform Crocea Mors. I know that I should've buried them in a memorial for you or something, but I couldn't bear to separate myself from the last physical items that belonged to you. Besides, Crocea Mors looks amazing now. It can even transform into a big bastard sword thanks to your metal! You would be amazed by it! You should've seen me use its bastard sword form against this huge horseman-like Grimm we fought in Kuroyuri._

 _I know what you would say if you saw the new Crocea Mors: How could I destroy my family heirloom by changing its appearance? I know I once rattled off to you about how I wanted to be a Huntsman like my father, my grandfather, and even be like my great-great-grandfather, Jaundice. Yeah, the King of Vale himself that established the Huntsmen and Huntress academies. I felt you and I both bonded a lot from that time, with me having the family legacy to uphold and you being a talented warrior. The funny thing is, I don't care about upholding the family legacy anymore, and I wish you chose to do the same for yourself. I want to create my own legacy, the legacy of Jaune Arc. I wish you chose to live your life however you wanted too, but maybe being a Huntress was what you wanted, I dunno._

 _I destroyed my family's legacy by reforging Crocea Mors into what it is now: your memory. I called it a hand-me-down before, but I want to remember it as the sword wielded by a great hero that carries the metal of that hero's first mentor. Hopefully I get to see that day come._

 _I've learned about what happened to you regarding the Maidens. I won't chastise you for your decision to take the Fall Maiden's magic. In fact, I want to applaud you for taking such a risk in the hopes it would help you and us as a whole. I just wish you would have defied Ozpin's wishes and told me the truth that day. At the time, I would've begged you to refuse the magic because I didn't want to risk losing you, but I know that deep down you wanted to do it to protect me, Ren, Nora, and the others from harm, and I couldn't be more proud of you for that decision, despite what had come of it._

 _This may sound crazy, but I believe that I can bring you back to life. Yeah, completely bonkers, I know. I met with Qrow and Ozpin, though Ozpin's soul has somehow merged with some kid Ruby's age, and I learned a bit more about some mystical Relics that possess incredible power, one of them being some Relic that holds the power of creation itself. I want to believe that you kept some of the Fall magic from that transfer machine in the Vault. I thought that maybe, if you're somehow alive with part of your soul inside someone somewhere, I could bring you back using that transfer machine and that creation Relic, or I'm just crazy thinking I can accomplish the impossible, but I want to believe it not just so I can reunite with you, but also so you can have another chance at life, free of your destiny and able to choose how to live._

 _Whether you're truly gone or I'm somehow right and you're sorta alive, I'll find that out for myself, but no matter what, I will never forget you or all the kindness and compassion you've given me in the short time we've been together. I wish we could've seen more together. Be Huntsmen together. Have Team Arkos rise as one of the greatest Huntsmen pairs of Remnant. Fall in love. Maybe get married and start a family. I wish I could've done so much more with you, Pyrrha._

 _I still have your scroll, you know. Remember, you gave it to me before your singles match in the Vytal Tournament to hold onto? I found that video you made for me that you never sent. I've been using it for nighttime training, though it hurts seeing you so happy and hearing your wonderful voice again, unaware of what is to come. I always tear up at the moment you stutter towards the end, right when you plan to tell me how you feel about me. You're not wrong, by the way, about always being here with me. You're still here. You're always in my heart, my thoughts, and I feel as though I'm carrying a piece of you in the new Crocea Mors._

 _I better wrap this up, as I'm going to visit your mother to tell her the news of your fate. I'm only going to tell her that you died fighting the one responsible for the Battle of Beacon, hoping that your actions would save the rest of us. Your mother, Pandora, deserves to know what's happened to you, and don't worry, I'll be there to comfort her._

 _Pyrrha, remember when you asked me if I believe in destiny and I never gave you an answer? Well, I want to let you know that I do believe in destiny. I believe that destiny is not some predetermined fate that cannot be changed. I believe it's like a final goal we make for ourselves that we strive for. It can change, and maybe we will never fulfill our destiny, but it's something to shoot for. I believe my destiny is to become a great Huntsman and hero one day, and I believe I am meant to bring Cinder Fall to justice and avenge you._

 _I love you, Pyrrha Nikos. I will always love you. Watch me become a hero and fulfill my destiny for us both._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Jaune Arc, Leader of Team JNPR._

 _PS: We will always be Team JNPR, even with you gone._

Jaune took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. He lined up the several pages of paper and folded them into an envelope, where he wrote "For Pyrrha" onto it, coupled with a little heart by her name. He sealed the envelope and took a sip from the Mistral ale mixed with strawberry juice on his desk. He grabbed a nearby lighter and went to the open window that overlooked the dense forests of the Mistral Wilds. He hovered the lighter under the envelope until it caught fire, then he held it by three fingers as the fire consumed more of the envelope. As the fire reached halfway, Jaune released the envelope, where the wind caught hold of it and took it into the sky as it dissolved into ashes.

"I hope my words reach you, Pyrrha," Jaune said aloud. He smiled and wiped at his eyes again. "If I'm just crazy and you're never coming back, at least I'll be able to see you again once my life is over. Until then, I'll do what I can to fulfill our destiny, that's a promise, and you know Arcs never go back on their word." He lost sight of the ashes in the sunlight. Jaune grabbed Crocea Mors from his bed and headed out for the Nikos house.


	12. My Choice Saved Her

**A/N:** A one shot of a possible Pyrrha Resurrection theory

* * *

Jaune stood at the window of a small bullhead that was heading to Vale. Only a day ago, he was in Mistral celebrating a pyrrhic victory over the White Fang, the Grimm, and Cinder, all of whom attacked Mistral just as they did Vale. Jaune himself confronted Cinder at Haven, and while he was unable to kill her, he defeated her in battle and forced her to retreat, keeping the Relic of Mistral safe from her hands. Jaune shifted at the window and let out a sharp hiss. His hand shot at his left shoulder, which was garbed in bandages and cotton swaps; a burn scar Cinder left him from their battle.

"How are you doing, kid?" Qrow asked Jaune, who was sitting on a cushioned seat and drinking from his flask. "You sure you're up for this? I mean, Oscar warned you about the risks."

"I know, but if there's a chance this could work, I gotta try," Jaune answered him. His right hand trailed to a small pouch on his belt, one that held a chess piece, a knight. The Relic of Choice.

 _"Ozpin says he wants to make amends for what he did to your friend, Pyrrha," Oscar told Jaune the day after the Battle of Haven. "Now that we've protected the Relic of Creation from Salem, there is a chance you can save Pyrrha."_

 _Jaune was shocked, but he demanded to know more. "What do you mean? What must I do?"_

 _Oscar took Ozpin's cane, and with his guidance, he spun the gears within its guard and a latch opened up, revealing a small knight chess piece inside. "He says that this is the Relic of Choice, and with it, you will be able to go back to the night of the Battle of Beacon to save Pyrrha." He handed Jaune the chess piece. "Ozpin says that while he has made many mistakes over the years, he has corrected some that he deemed worthy of change, but only those that he could change that allowed time to flow as it has."_

"What does this mean for Pyrrha?"

 _"Pyrrha's death atop Beacon Tower was a fixed point; it had to happen so Ruby could emerge as a Silver-Eyed Warrior and wound both Cinder and the Grimm Dragon. If you want to rescue Pyrrha, you will have to save her while ensuring Ruby's Silver Eyes still emerges. Go to Beacon and activate the Relic of Choice while thinking of that night, then when you reach the tower, clench the relic tightly to freeze time for a short moment, and do what you can to save Pyrrha…Ozpin also wants to warn you that…that if you intend to save Pyrrha, someone must die to ensure that Ruby's Silver Eyes emerge…I think you know what that means…"_

 _Jaune bid farewell to his friends, promising all of them that he will return. "No matter what, even if you can't save Pyrrha, you come back to us, got it?" Nora told him, giving him a big bear hug. "I don't wanna lose you."_

 _"You be careful over there, Jaune," said Ren, giving his friend a hug, both him and Nora unaware that he would never return, not in this timeline._

"I know the risks, but if it means saving Pyrrha and changing things, then I'm ready for whatever comes next," Jaune answered Qrow.

Qrow let loose a light chuckle. "Ozpin once told me you're so much like your great-great-grandfather, and I can see it now. Both of you are dumb, courageous, and willing to die for your loved ones." Jaune did not answer back, instead he continued to gaze outside the window as the borders of Vale appeared within view. When the bullhead touched down outside of Beacon Tower, Jaune remained inside while Qrow and a squadron of Atlesian soldiers filed out to quell the nearby Grimm. "It's all clear out here, Jaune!" Qrow called out after a few minutes. Jaune stripped himself of his armor and went straight for the Tower. "See you in another future, kiddo…"

Inside, Jaune found the empty elevator shaft––the same one Pyrrha took the night Beacon was attacked––and began the long climb up. Upon reaching the top, he stepped out onto the floor, still encased in the strange silver ice with the frozen Grimm Dragon above. Jaune slipped the knight chess piece in between his fingers and swallowed hard. "No going back from here on…" he mumbled to himself, knowing that he needs to go all out if he wants to save Pyrrha. Jaune clenched the knight chess piece tightly and concentrated on that terrible night. _Take me back to the night Pyrrha died,_ he thought.

Jaune's vision instantly transformed to greyscale as if he became colorblind. The ice encasing the Grimm Dragon dissolved into nothing and the creature returned to life once more. The bodies of Cinder and Pyrrha formed from thin air and Jaune saw a time-frozen Pyrrha on her knees at Cinder's mercy, who was pointing her glass bow at her. _This is it!_ Jaune suddenly realized. He drew his sword and stood off to the side behind Cinder, ready to catch her by surprise. Color returned to the world and everything began moving again.

"Do you believe in…!" Pyrrha started before she suddenly halted upon seeing Jaune in her peripheral vision. Jaune crouched down, not wanting to draw attention. At that moment, Ruby emerged, flying up from the side of the tower and landing inside. She spotted Jaune and Pyrrha standing still.

 _No tuning back now!_ Jaune thought as he rushed forward. Cinder released her arrow aimed straight for Pyrrha's heart when a blur appeared and Jaune was suddenly between them. Her arrow instead found Jaune's lower stomach, plunging into fabric and flesh. Jaune grunted in pain and stumbled, but he did not fall. Tears rushed to Pyrrha's eyes, but the shock kept her from moving. His hand gripped the arrow's shaft and he gave Cinder an angry glare, who was shocked at his suddenly appearance. Cinder growled and materialized another arrow, which she fired into Jaune's right shoulder; again he stumbled, but did not fall. Jaune raced for Cinder with a yell to goad her, and it succeeded. A third arrow was fired, which found itself embedded through Jaune's left breast. His heart. Jaune fell to the floor at last, but he was still alive, just barely.

"…J-Jaune…" Pyrrha whimpered with horror.

"JAUNE!" Ruby screamed. Watching her friend get struck down forced her Silver Eyes to emerge, causing her to unleash its power, enveloping the entire tower in a silver light. Pyrrha and Jaune were blinded by the bright light.

When the light died away, Cinder had disappeared completely, the Grimm Dragon was frozen atop the tower, Ruby was lying unconscious upon the now ice-covered floor, and Jaune and Pyrrha were both unharmed aside from their previous injuries. Pyrrha crawled to Jaune, who was laying upon his back as a blood formed under him. "…Jaune…" Pyrrha sobbed over his dying body. Knowing that she was about to lose the man she loved forced all her sudden confession from her mind.

"…No time…" Jaune wheezed as a puddle of blood slowly formed under him. "…Take my sword and give it to Jaune…" Pyrrha looked confused, but Jaune knew he could not explain in time. He then dropped the knight chess piece into her hands. "…Take this and ensure that Qrow or Glynda get it…" She rapidly nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "…I'm sorry…Pyrrha…I love you…I'm sorry I didn't realize it until after you died…"

"…Huh? I…died?…" Pyrrha was puzzled.

"…Not this time…I changed that…" Jaune let out a long cough. "…Pyrrha…trust Jaune and his abilities…Promise me…" His hand reached for her and she went down to him, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was the same as their first, yet it felt more special for Jaune. Just as her lips left his, Jaune let out a long exhale and passed away. Pyrrha broke into sobs and cradled Jaune's dead body, crying out his name.

Just as Pyrrha took the unique Crocea Mors from Jaune's hip, she heard a loud _TAP_ behind her. Spinning around, she saw Qrow by Ruby's side. Qrow asked what happened, but Pyrrha had no answer. She offered him the Relic of Choice, which surprised him. Qrow marveled upon Jaune's body and let out a sigh. _Oz was right about you being so much like Jaundice You're willing to do whatever it takes to save those you love_ he sighed.

"Qrow, sir…what are we going to do?" Pyrrha whimpered, still holding onto Jaune.

Qrow thought it over silently for a moment. "I'm going to take you and Ruby outside of the Vale walls to where everyone is grouped at camp. You will rest and recover with your friends and I will take Ruby home to Patch for her to recover. As for Jaune…" He stole a glance at his body. _No one else must see his body, especially Jaune._ "I will give him a proper burial, I promise." Pyrrha nodded and held onto Jaune while Qrow flew off to find Glynda to retrieve a bullhead. When it arrived, Pyrrha was forced to leave Jaune's body behind, despite her protests, but she held onto her broken weapons and the Parallel Crocea Mors.

When the bullhead touched down, Qrow came out with Pyrrha hanging onto his back and an unconscious Ruby cradled in his arms and he took them deep within the Vale Encampment, where Pyrrha reunited with her friends, all of whom were overjoyed to see Pyrrha was alive and well, but Jaune was noticeably absent. Qrow took both her and Ruby to a large tent set up for the wounded, where they were laid upon cots. A nurse came to Pyrrha within a couple minutes and helped remove the arrow shaft lodged in her ankle and patched it up with bandages. Pyrrha did not need to be told that she will likely never be able to walk again without any metal implants or support. Pyrrha shed some tears and curled up into a ball.

"Pyrrha!" called a voice. She glanced up and saw Jaune––the same Jaune she shoved into the rocket locker––at the tent's entrance. He rushed to her side, where he took her into his arms and began to weep. "I was so scared…when I saw that light at the tower…I…" he stuttered. He pulled his face away to look upon her, where he gave her a teary smile. "…but it's fine, because you're okay…You're alive, and that's all that matters…"

Pyrrha sniffed and wiped at her tears, but they refused to stop. "Jaune, is it really you?" was all she could say. She was still confused about the Jaune who died at the tower.

Jaune said nothing, not taking note of her words. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers. Pyrrha was caught off guard, but she quickly accepted his kiss, wringing her arms around his neck while his snaked around her waist. This time, there was more passion behind Jaune's action; there was no sadness or a farewell like before, just pure, unadulterated love. Jaune broke the kiss and the two exhaled onto each other, then he crept to her ear. "I love you, Pyrrha…I wish I could've told you before you kissed me in front of Beacon…"

Pyrrha's tears grew stronger and she began to hiccup. "Can you ever forgive me for what I did?" she whispered with uncertainty.

Jaune gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I can, and I will, but I want you to promise me that you'll trust me from now on, okay? Believe in me as you always have." He cupped her chin and gave her a smile. "You're not invincible, Pyrrha, and there's no shame in admitting it and needing help." She nodded.

"Jaune…someone saved my life up there. He sacrificed his life to save mine. He…he wanted you to have this…" Pyrrha handed him the Parallel Crocea Mors, which he was astonished to see. Jaune drew the blade and marveled upon how perfectly similar it was to his own Crocea Mors. "…The man…was you, I think. I think he came from the future, one where I died at Beacon Tower on this night…" Jaune was shocked, but seeing the Parallel Crocea Mors cemented this as proof.

"It doesn't matter now, all that matters is that you're safe," Jaune told her. He sat down with her and cradled her in his arms. "Whatever comes for us in this new future, we'll face it together. We'll continue to help each other. We'll believe in each other, as we always have." Pyrrha smiled and agreed to that. Suddenly, everything the happened that night seemed to just fade away while Jaune and Pyrrha were together.


	13. Valentine's Day 2018

**A/N:** A Valentine's Day chapter for our favorite RWBY lovebirds, featuring the Book's first smut chapter (yeah, I went back on my word about how this fanfic won't have smut after I ended my RWBY erotica book, but writing Arkos smut is always good).

Jaune had everything planned for the upcoming Valentine's Day, from his dinner reservation, the nightly activities, required items to impress Pyrrha, the whole "wham bam shangalang," as his sister Bleu would always say. All that was left was to ask Pyrrha out, but that would be no trouble for him. When he got home from work at Beacon Academy, he asked Pyrrha (they have been living together for the past couple years), and she did not hesitate to say yes coupled with a hug.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Valentine's Day had finally arrived, and Jaune and Pyrrha got themselves dressed in fine clothes and the two went out to "Beauty by the Pier," a cozy fancy restaurant located by Vale's extravagant harbor. While Jaune wore a rather simple black suit and tie, Pyrrha herself adored her body in a beautiful red dress with golden laces, as well as a bronze circlet and emerald earrings, a birthday gift from Jaune last year. At their table located near a glorious fountain, the two sipped wine together while waiting for their meal.

"This has been wonderful so far, Jaune," Pyrrha complimented her date after taking a sip of wine.

"I'm glad you're having a good time," he answered, his hand reaching for hers, to which she reached out and the two intertwined their fingers together. "I've got more planned for tonight, by the way." He gave her a wink and she giggled.

"Hey, excuse me," said an unknown voice. Jaune and Pyrrha turned and found a random couple before them. "Um, are you Jaune Arc? You look so much like him, and pardon me, but we couldn't leave without at least confirming if we were right or not," the woman continued.

"Yes, I am Jaune Arc."

The couple both took turns shaking Jaune's hand. "Thank you for all you have done for Vale and everyone! We've heard stories about how you avenged the Fall of Vale and defeated Cinder Fall!" On and on they prattled, but Jaune smiled and accepted their thanks before they excused themselves, apologizing for interrupting his evening dinner.

"Seems people recognize you whenever you go out, huh?" Pyrrha remarked, earning a chuckle from him while he prodded at his food. "How ironic that years ago I was the most recognizable person of us both and now people recognize you and praise you for your accomplishments instead."

"It's not that big of a deal, really. Besides, I rather like the attention, especially compared to how I was before." The waiter came back with their meals, which he laid before them and took his leave when they needed nothing else. "Besides, as famous as I may become, I know that you'll always treat me the same, whether I'm the old goofball of Beacon or the Arc Knight of Vale."

"That's true, but then again, your accomplishments are greater than what I achieved prior to Beacon. You defeated Cinder when I couldn't, you avenged the Fall of Vale, and you…brought me back…" Pyrrha suddenly went silent after saying that, diverting her attention to her food. Jaune reached across the table and took her hand.

"It's alright, Pyrrha. No need to talk about that anymore. It's in the past now." He gave her a comforting smile, which she returned and let out a sigh. He released her hand and her attitude reverted back to before. "You're still the same person as you were back at Beacon, you know."

"I know, I know. It's just that after three years, I thought it would be easier to move on, but I feel like I'm still stuck in the past, dwelling on what happened." Her attitude drooped again and she began prodding at her food again.

Jaune gazed at her for a moment before he grabbed his plate and wine glass and placed it directly beside her, where he then scooted a chair beside hers and seated himself next to her. He put an arm around her and leaned against her in a halfway hug. "This better?" he whispered to her.

Pyrrha smiled and leaned against him with a hand placed upon his chest. "Yes, it's much better. Thank you."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When dinner had ended, Jaune put his next plan in motion and took Pyrrha for a walk through the streets of Vale, which were illuminated in a number of beautiful and colorful lights for an upcoming festival to celebrate Salem's defeat; one that Jaune intended to be there for, as he was the man who lead the armies of the four kingdoms against Salem in the final battle against the Grimm, so he will be among the guests of honor, like Ruby and the rest of their friends, save Pyrrha.

The couple had a wonderful time exploring the streets and seeing other people still enjoying the last moments of daytime before night completely overtook the sky. When it eventually got too dark, Jaune and Pyrrha retreated back to their car, where Pyrrha awaited what else Jaune had planned for the evening, but was curious when he refused to turn the car on.

"Pyrrha, we've been through a lot, both of us have," Jaune started without looking at her. "We both enrolled at Beacon, we trained and worked together, we became best friends––you were the first person in my life I could call my best friend, actually––then I lost you at the Fall of Vale…" Jaune wiped at his eyes. "…and yet despite that, I continued on, I endured, and I accomplished so much thanks to everything you've taught me…I did a number of those things for you, mostly." Jaune finally turned his teary eyes towards Pyrrha and he gave her a smile. "I only wished you could've seen me grow into the hero you knew I could become, but I'm glad you were able to see me when it was all over. I did the impossible and sacrificed part of my life for you because I love you, and I realized too late how much I loved you only after you died, when I realized who I truly lost; my best friend, my partner, and the girl of my dreams…"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _Jaune stood at the bottom of the Atlas Vault with the Winter Maiden by his side and the Relic of Creation sitting at his foot. "Twin Brothers of Remnant, I call upon you! I request for an act of creation!" Jaune's voice boomed. Almost instantaneously, two large spirits in the shape of two men, one glowing brightly and the other with darkness, appeared before him and stared him down._

" _You call upon us, Jaune Arc," said the Brother of Light._

" _Now what does a little mortal like you wish to create?" asked the Brother of Darkness._

" _I ask only to have someone I love returned to me. I wish to have Pyrrha Nikos back," Jaune answered._

" _A bold request, indeed, but to recreate a once-living soul, it will require something great in return. A life is needed to return another from the dead," warned the Brother of Darkness._

" _Brothers of Light and Darkness, I offer my life in exchange for Pyrrha Nikos'," said the Winter Maiden, a withered old woman who stepped forward. "My life has been a long one with little resolution, with my powers being used by the nation of Atlas while I was hunted down for decades by the forces of Salem before her downfall. My last act shall be to grant this hero his wish."_

" _He looks so much like his great-great-grandfather, Jaundice, who came to us for a similar request once," chimed the other Brother. "But even with a life to sacrifice, we require something more of you, Jaune Arc. We have need of your Aura; a great deal of it, if we are to reconstruct Pyrrha Nikos' soul and body. Fortunately for you, thanks to the massive Aura you house within your body, you shall have plenty of Aura left within you, and you will be able to survive the creation process."_

" _Consider yourself lucky that you alone are able to fulfill such a troublesome request from us."_

" _Whatever the cost, I accept it," Jaune said without hesitation. "I owe Pyrrha my life a number of times over. She is not only the woman I love, but my best friend, and someone who deserves a second chance at life now free of Salem's evil."_

 _The Twin Brothers looked at each other before silently nodding. The Winter Maiden stepped forward and she found her body lifted in the air before she was instantly vaporized into nothing. A bright light emitted from the two spirits, blinding Jaune. He soon groaned in pain, feeling his Aura be sapped from his body. How much would they take? he wondered._

" _It is done. Hold her in your arms and never let go."_

 _A great weight plopped itself against Jaune and his arms reflexively wrung around it. When the light died away, Jaune found Pyrrha naked in his arms, looking exactly as she did the day she died, with a massive scar lodged in her chest and in her ankle; the last wounds she suffered before she died. At his feet, the Relic of Creation sat with the light within its lamp shape now faded._

 _Pyrrha's eyes slowly fluttered open as if she was awaking from a deep sleep. "Jaune?" she groaned, to which he broke into tears and hugged her tight._

" _Hello again," he told her amidst his sobs._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"You have done so much for me while I was gone…" Pyrrha admitted, her hand running to her chest; while her dress covered it, part of her scar was still visible. "…And Jaune, I know I've said it many times before, but I just want to say thank you for bringing me back…" Tears rushed into her eyes and she wiped them away. "…You gave me a second chance, and yet for the three years since, all I've done was dwell on the past and my failures, and yet you were always there to help me try to move forward…" She broke into tears again, forcing Jaune to pull her into his arms. "…I'm sorry…"

"Then I think I know a way to help you move forward, and it's something I've been planning for a while, but I need to know if you're alright with it," Jaune asked her.

"Wh-what is it?"

Jaune reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a small black box. "Pyrrha, will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?" He popped it open, revealing a silver ring adorned with a small pyrope and a citrine gem enclosed around each other. Engraved on the inside was the word "Arkos." Pyrrha lost her voice and stared wide-eyed as Jaune took the ring and slipped it onto her finger without saying a word.

"Jaune…I…I…" she stuttered.

"So will you? I promise I will do everything in my power to help you move forward, and we'll do it as husband and wife."

Pyrrha hastily nodded and practically tackled Jaune in his seat, pressing her lips to his in a passionate kiss, which he was swift to return. The two went back and forth at each other, their lips interconnected. They eventually broke away, to which they both decided to go home from there.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Once they had closed their cozy apartment door behind them, Jaune and Pyrrha latched themselves onto each other once again, their lips pressed together and their hands exploring each other's body. Pyrrha went to work removing Jaune's jacket and unbutton his shirt, but then Jaune stopped her by pulling away.

"Pyrrha, are you sure you want to do this now?" he asked her in a gentle voice, his hands upon her waist. "Just because you said yes doesn't mean we have to rush into things." Despite living together for three years and the two of them being forefront about their feelings for each other, both of them kept their relationship at a steady pace, from going on little dates now and then, spending time together, and sharing simple kisses.

"I mean…I want this, Jaune. I feel ready," Pyrrha assured him. "When you presented the ring to me, I felt as though this was an opportune moment for us to finally take the next step, and-and I love you so much and I don't want to regret anything anymore like I did before at Beacon and I truly do love you and I thank you for everything you've done and…!" Jaune hushed her before she could ramble on any more.

"Alright. I just wanted to make sure you really wanted to do this, is all," he chuckled. He gave her a tender kiss on the forehead and grabbed his jacket. "C'mon, how about we continue this in the bedroom?" Pyrrha nodded and followed after him.

They have been sleeping together in the same room ever since Jaune resurrected her, but it was mostly so he could comfort her, as the first few week upon her return had her waking up in the middle of the night screaming from nightmares, so Jaune sold his old bed and bought a queen-sized one for the two of them to sleep in, which significantly improved Pyrrha's sleep when she had Jaune close to comfort her. When they had reached their bedroom, they placed their scrolls, wallets, circlet, and assorted items on their dressers and turned their attention back to each other.

Jaune pulled off his shirt and undershirt while he kissed Pyrrha, who kicked off her high heels without pausing. Jaune grabbed at the two straps the held Pyrrha's dress up and pulled them off to the side, allowing the red clothing to drop to the floor and expose Pyrrha's naked body to him, save for her red lace underwear. On reflex, her hand went to cover up the scar on her chest, but Jaune lowered it down and replaced it with his own hand. "Wear the scars proudly, because you're my scarred beauty," he whispered before giving her a loving kiss. Pyrrha felt her nerves calm and her hand roped around Jaune's neck. He hoisted her naked body in his arms and carried her to the bed, where he plopped her upon it and crawled on top of her. He gave her a searing kiss while he kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks with his toes. He moved south, lightly kissing her neck, shoulders, her chest scar, and stopping at her breasts, where he burrowed his face into her bosom and kissed her cleavage. Pyrrha moaned as one hand held Jaune in place.

Pyrrha flipped Jaune over and pressed her breasts against his chest while she pierced his eyes with her own. She went down upon him and nestled her face into his muscular chest, pinching one of his hardened nipples between her teeth for a moment. She went down further, where she unbuckled and slid off his pants and underwear in one go, unleashing his erect penis before her, making her turn a beet red; Pyrrha has seen Jaune's penis a number of times in all the time they have lived together, and all of them were by accident, but now she is so close to it and willingly. She gazed upon it in awe for a moment, as if mesmerized by it.

"Pyrrha? Is my cock that interesting to you?" Jaune chuckled, which snapped her out of her trance.

"Um, I'm sorry!" she hastily apologized. She climbed upon his lap and he held her in place by her butt cheeks, making her blush harder than before. "Um, I'm ready…" she mumbled before she lifted herself up and slid herself onto Jaune's erect cock. A loud cry escaped her as her hymen broke, her body fell against Jaune's, who held her tight.

"You okay?" he groaned as her fingers dug into his back.

Pyrrha let out a hum. "…Yeah…" she finally whispered. She readjusted herself and began bopping up and down on his lap as the two locked eyes with each other. "…Jaune…I feel so hot…is this what sex is really like?"

"I suppose so. I mean, this is my first time too," he replied. This surprised Pyrrha.

"You never…?" she started.

Jaune's arms tightened around her naked waist. "Never. I saved myself just for you, the woman I love," he whispered in her ear. He gave her a smile while she started to tear up again. Jaune's response was to flip Pyrrha over onto the bed and hover himself over her. With her arms up by her head and one leg bent, she gazed upon him completely defenseless and vulnerable to him. He reached down and gently kissed her, making her sadness melt away and replacing it with happiness once again. His right hand curled around her neck, where it reached up and undid the tie around her hair, releasing her long red hair. He took both hands and ran his fingers through it, spreading it out onto the bed and leaving strands on Pyrrha's shoulders and breasts. He kissed her again, now more passionately than before, one of his hands cupped itself around Pyrrha's breast, making her moan in between kisses.

"I'm going back in again," Jaune warned his beloved before he slowly inserted his cock into her pussy again, sparking another long cry from Pyrrha again. He steadily thrusted in and out while he watched her, their eyes never breaking contact. "How's this?"

"F-Fine…" Pyrrha moaned as his cock struck the edge of her womb, making her recoil for a moment. "…I love you, Jaune…" Jaune held onto her and began thrusting faster. "AH! Jaune!" She could feel her insides grow wet from his hot member pistoning through her once-virgin walls. She bit her lip as she felt her entire body grow hot as an unknown sensation overtook her entire body. "JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried before her entire body suddenly locked up and she began shuddering in place. Jaune stopped to observe Pyrrha experience her first orgasm.

When her body had finally relaxed, she wrung her arms around Jaune and pulled him close, leaving their faces mere inches apart. "Keep…going…" she begged him, to which he was happy to obey. He continued pistoning inside while a wave of sexual ecstasy flowed through Pyrrha as his precum dribbled inside of her. Their open mouths locked and they traded tongues, both of them reaching their breaking points. "I love you so much, Jaune!" Pyrrha cried as she felt her love juices mix with his cock.

"I love you too, Pyrrha!" Jaune answered back before grabbing her tight and shoving his cock all the way inside, where he unleashed himself within. His hot semen filled up her womb, causing Pyrrha to convulse and scream again. Both of them froze in place, sweat dripping off their bodies, then Jaune suddenly fell on top of Pyrrha, whom wrapped her arms around him.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"I hope I didn't hurt you or anything," Jaune coyly whispered to Pyrrha as the two sat upright on their bed with her sitting in front of him.

"A little bit, but it was still wonderful," she answered with a smile. She cranked her head around and kissed him. "You were wonderful." The two shared a long kiss with Jaune grasping one of her breasts, making her moan. "You think we may have done this too soon? I mean, you proposed only a few hours ago, after all."

"Pyrrha, I waited four years to be with you, and I went through all kinds of things before I was able to resurrect you, then I waited three years until the time was right to propose to you. I think we've both waited long enough."

Pyrrha chuckled. "You're still the team tactician, as always."

"I didn't plan on meeting the girl of my dreams though, let alone resurrecting her from the dead and marrying her." The two of them closed together in a passionate kiss, one of many yet to come in their happy lives. They separated only to burrow under the blankets before resuming again.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

A few months passed and the day of their wedding came. Pyrrha stood in her own room marveling herself in her dress hours before the wedding was to start. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Her dress had been designed specifically for her, with the noticeable features including the cleavage area being shown so she can show off her scar to everyone now, as well as round out around her pregnant belly, which had begun growing within the last couple months. She rubbed her rounded belly and smiled.

"Hey there," said Jaune's voice. Pyrrha spun around and found him at the door dressed in his tuxedo.

"Jaune, you're not supposed to see the bride until we're both at the altar!"

"I know, but I just wanted to see my lovely bride early." He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. "You look beautiful, as always."

"Well, since you're here, I might as well tell you what I was saving for the wedding reception." She gave him a smile. "I went to the doctor and he confirmed that our child will be a girl."

"A…a girl?" he repeated. Pyrrha nodded. "What should we name her?"

"I was thinking of naming her after my great-great-grandmother, Corona. She served as a retainer to the King of Vale long ago."

"That sounds like a wonderful name." He his soon-to-be wife in his arms and kissed her deeply. "I cannot wait for us to become an official couple."

"I cannot wait either! This is the happiest day of my life, Jaune!"

Pyrrha gave him a bright smile and laughed. She has not laughed like since their days at Beacon. The Pyrrha Nikos he remembered was back.


	14. The Sacrifice

**A/N:** I received permission from the-wayward-arc on Tumblr, who wrote this, to convert it to a one-shot for the Book of Arkos. The only changes I made was grammatical and a few word changes and additions for a better flow of the story. Visit their Tumblr for more great Jaune content.

 **The Sacrifice**

"As the Relic of Creation, it can create or recreate anything, but at a cost," Ozpin explained, having taken control of Oscar's body for a while.

"Wait, so it can create anything? Like another person?" Ruby asked, excited at the power the relic holds.

"Yes, but again, it will have a heavy cost. The relic will ask for something in equal to what you want to create." He explained to both RWBY and JNPR. Having made their way to Atlas and recovered the Relic, they had returned to the Atlas base General Ironwood gave them to use for temporary refuge. "It can create anything, which helped humanity combat the Grimm more effectively. From this humanity learned to create better ways to protect themselves. From more defensive walls to machines of war. But each creation needed something in return." He continued, the others leaning as he talked. "For weapons, it wanted only materials. For homes, it wanted trees and dirt. Each creation was given an equal value." he finished.

"So if you wish to create a life, you would need to give something of same value?" Blake asked, sitting on the couch as she gazed up from her book.

"Precisely, Miss Belladonna, though no one has tried it. They were afraid of what it would want in return." He answered, drinking some tea that Ren had brewed.

Jaune gazed at it, thinking about something when suddenly the relic began to glow, giving off a gold light as it hovered above them. Everyone was caught off guard by this, too stunned to stop the relic from flying to Jaune as he sat in a chair across the room. He closed his eyes and pulled his hands up in an attempt to protect himself but when he felt no pressure or pain from it ramming into him, he opened his eyes and looked at it.

"Jaune are you okay?" Ruby asked worryingly, Crescent Rose at the ready, the others having weapons ready as well in case something happens.

"Y-yeah I'm fine." He answered, looking at the relic as it hovered in front of him, the golden light dimmed slightly.

 _"What will you give?"_ a deep voice boomed in the room. Everyone looked around, wondering where the voice was coming from.

"Headmaster?" asked Ren, Stormflower aimed at the relic.

"It's the relic." he mumbled, looking at it and Jaune with a slight worried expression. "Mister Arc, please back away from it. Don't let it tempt you."

 _"What will you give in return?"_ the voice repeated. Jaune swallowed hard as he gazed into it. He wanted to move but his body wouldn't let him. Instead his arm reach out to it.

"Mister Arc! Don't-!" But before he could continue, a blinding light erupted from it as Jaune touched it. They all closed their eyes to protect themselves from it. When the light disappeared, the relic was still hovering but Jaune was gone. "Oh no."

"Jaune!?" yelled Ruby as she frantically looked all over the room for her friend. Everyone was panicking at this time, the Relic of Creation hovering by itself where their friend was.

"Headmaster, where's Jaune?" asked Weiss, feeling worried for the knight. Her hands were steady as she looked at Ozpin, but he stayed quiet, gripping his cane as he looked at the relic.

"The relic has him," He finally said, stunning the others.

"What do you mean? Where did it take him?" she demanded in anger, wanting to know where it took her friend.

"The relic sensed something in the young Arc. It called out to him and he answered. We cant do anything for him now, it'll be up to him if he comes back," he answered, the others looking at him, then at the relic again.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to his surroundings. Once he could see properly, he noticed that he wasn't in the room anymore. Instead, everything was white and no noticeable structures he could see. He reached for his weapon but realized it was gone.

"Ruby? Ren? Yang?" He yelled, his voice echoing as he looked around. His voice echoed. He began to panic. "Okay okay, calm down, Jaune. Gotta keep a clear head if you want to get out of here." He told himself. Before he could do anything, a golden light erupted in front of him. When it dimmed, he noticed a figure of gold light stood in front of him. This figure had no noticeable facial features but did stand a good two feet higher than him. Jaune backed up a bit, sensing that this being had a powerful presence to it and even though it had no eyes, he felt like it was glaring at him.

 _"What will you give in return?"_ it asked him in the same powerful voice from before.

"W-what do you mean?" He trembled before the figure, who approached him.

 _"I sense in you a desire. A desire that flared up when you heard my story. A desire to bring life,"_ it said, crossing its arms across its chest. Jaune eyes widened. He lowered his head.

 _I'm in the relic._ He thought, still looking at his feet.

 _"Yes. I brought you in here so that you may tell me your desire and what you will give in return, Jaune Arc."_ Jaune looked up at it, surprised.

"H-how did-"

 _"I read your thoughts. Nothing can be kept from me,"_ It answered before he could finish.. Its voice sounded annoyed at this point. _"I know of your family. Your ancestors have played important roles in the world's history, being saviors and changing history itself."_ Jaune was stunned at this; his ancestors were really something then if even this powerful figure spoke of them highly. _"Arcs have long since brought forth generations of heroes. One even kept me from being used for evil purposes but at the cost of their life. I will never forget that."_ It continued. _"Now another Arc is in the process of adding another chapter in history, fighting alongside a silver-eyed warrior and other brave warriors, much like before."_ It finished. Jaune was stunned––no––shocked. He had no words. Nothing to say. _"But now you desire something of me, and I know what it is. You wish to bring someone back from the dead."_ Jaune looked away when it said this.

Yes, when he heard its story, he thought there was a chance to bring Pyrrha back. She was wrongly taken from this world by someone who does not deserve to live. He looked at the figure, he was here. It heard him. Maybe it would do it and he would pay any price to bring her back.

"Yes. Someone who didn't deserve to die. Someone who was thrust into a position they shouldn't have been in. She deserves to live her life to the fullest." He said looking at the figure, tears forming in his eyes. "She was my partner. She helped me when others wouldn't. She saw potential and strength when others saw weakness and if it wasn't for her, then I'd probably be dead, but she shouldn't have been ripped from her family, her friends and her team. She had hopes and dreams." He approached the golden figure, who stood firmly as he did. "If you can bring Pyrrha Nikos back, then I will give you anything you ask." His voice filled with determination.

The figure looked at him, its arms still crossed. It then chuckled as it gazed upon the young Arc. _"Just like she was,"_ it said. Jaune was about to ask before it raised its hand to silence him. _"I was created by the Brothers, I have this power, and I can bring her back to the world of living, with the memories leading up to her death but it will come at a cost."_ It paused, looking at the boy. _"A life for a life. Give me yours for hers."_ Jaune was stunned. He knew it would want something and he had a feeling it would be something like this. _"I will allow you to think-"_

"I'll do it." It stopped speaking and looked at the boy's eyes. He saw pure determination. This boy was adamant on bringing her back and he was ready to pay the price. "My life for hers. But please allow me time to say goodbye to my friends and her," he requested. The figure looked at him and laughed. "What's so funny? Is this not the price?" he asked, confused.

 _"You Arcs are always ready to lay down your life for another. You were ready to offer your life as soon as I said it was the price. No thinking. No hesitation. Not a hint of fear. You were ready to go if it meant she would live. I saw you ready to give your life to save your friends when you fought against the false Maiden in Mistral,"_ He said. _"You Arcs never cease to amaze me. I will bring her back, but in honor of your ancestor who gave her life to protect me, I will not take your life. You are needed at the silver warrior's side when the final battle comes, but a price must still be paid."_ A small smile spread across Jaune's face. She could be brought back, he would be able to see her again. She could see her friends again. He was still curious about what meant by silver warrior. Did he mean Ruby? He shook his head, knowing he would have to ask about that later, but right now, he had a more pressing matter.

"What do you want instead?" he asked. The figure looked at him a bit.

 _"Your Aura. You possess an incredible amount of it, more than I've ever seen from anyone in the history of this world,"_ it informed him. _"Know that if you accept it, you will no longer be able to use your Semblance. You will no longer be able to heal your wounds, especially ones that will prove fatal. You would no longer be able to be the hero you dreamed of."_ It continued, looking at Jaune for any sight of hesitation or regret, but he saw none; Jaune did not waver. _"You will no longer be able to protect the innocent like a Huntsman should. The fight against the Grimm will become extremely difficult for you, without the protective and offensive capabilities of Aura. You will become a liability to your friends."_ Jaune glared silently at the figure. He took the words it said to heart but still he would not waiver.

"Then I'll just need to get stronger," he finally spoke up. "You are right, without Aura, I will be much more vulnerable and not much use in a fight. I could hide behind the safety of the kingdom walls for the rest of my life, but I could never forgive myself if I did that. I used to think I wasn't fit to lead my team, I was afraid I was holding them down and might get them all killed one day, but you know what? They never saw me as a hindrance or a liability. They saw me as a friend, a leader, and a brother. They helped me get strong and supported me every step of the way, so as long as I can stand, as long as I can hold my shield and sword, I will fight. I will never abandon my friends or ever become a liability to them. I will continue to fight by their side until the day I die, because an Arc never gives up." He finished with triumph.

The entity laughed as hard as it could. _"Amazing! You are just like her, your ancestor, down to that fighting spirit! Jaune Arc, I will grant your desire and bring back Pyrrha Nikos, and you may keep your Aura until the final confrontation against Salem is decided. Your friends will have need of it for that battle, but win or lose, I will take your Aura. Do you understand?"_ It asked. The figure was surprised when Jaune kneeled down on one knee and bowed his head. _"Know that even if Salem is defeated, while it will weaken the Grimm hordes immensely, it will not stop them from being created. The world will still need the Huntsmen, the Maidens, and the Silver-Eyed Warriors, be it against Grimm or Men, and you will not have the strength of your Aura to aid you in the battles after the confrontation. Do you truly understand this?"_ It warned him again.

"By my word as an Arc, no matter the outcome, my Aura is yours to take, so long as I can have Pyrrha back. I understand what will happen, but I don't care. I will still stand by their side and I will still lend them my strength. I will still protect those that can't protect themselves," he proclaimed, his hand clenched into a fist. "Now please…" He looked up at the golden entity. "…bring her back…"

The entity slapped its hands together, and in an instant, a bright flash of light blinded Jaune. As the light dimmed and his eyes refocused, Jaune saw orange petals float around him and the figure had disappeared. Soon, the petals rapidly came together, beginning to take form. Slowly but surely, they formed a person, a woman to be precise. Jaune saw her red flowing hair take color as the form descended towards him. Jaune put his arms to catch her as the last of petals disappeared into her body. Her skin was warm to the touch and her eyes were closed, but he could feel her body slowly heaved in and out. Tears fell down his face as he smiled. He knelt down with her in arms, where he carefully ran his fingers across her forehead, moving her beautiful red hair out of her face.

 _"Hold her in your arms and never let go of her…"_ said the voice from nowhere. _"…We shall meet again at the end, Jaune Arc…"_

A white sheet fell upon the naked girl and manifested into a white dress. She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the white emptiness and the blur of a figure looking down at her. She felt small droplets hit her face. When her eyes adjusted, she realized it was Jaune holding her.

"J-Jaune?" Pyrrha weakly groaned, slowly regaining feelings and sensations in her body. He sobbed as he looked upon her, praying to whatever God above that this was not a dream, but when she placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away a tear, he knew this was reality.

"H-Hello again…I-It's good to…have you back…" he simply whispered amidst his tears before pulling her in a loving embrace. She was a bit surprised, her last memory still a blur, but right now, she hugged him back. While curious as to what he meant, she felt it was best to ask when things were calm.

"Jaune? Where are we?" she asked, letting go of the hug so she could look around. Jaune stood up, holding her bridal style. He knew she was still weak and best not let her walk until she regained her strength.

"Its a long story. The entity said you would get your memories back after a while, but maybe it would be best if I explain things to you instead, but first…" he leaned in and kissed her on the lips, surprising her. Her faced went full red and hot. "I love you, Pyrrha Nikos." He chuckled as she hid her embarrassed face in her hands. "Also, you may want to be prepared, the others will be excited to see you again, but I'm sure you're gonna get some scolding from them, especially from Nora and Ruby." He explained, she sighed some memories began to come to light.

She rested her head on his chest as the two became enveloped by a bright light and returned back into the room with everyone staring at them in shock. The relic slowly descended back to the ground, now devoid of its light. Everyone was overjoyed to see Jaune return to them, but they were equally shocked to see the familiar redhead clutched in his arms.

"P-Pyrrha?!" Ruby managed to say, dropping Crescent Rose as Nora covered her mouth with tears rushing down her face. Ren fell to a knee, looking at once-dead teammate. He rubbed his eyes as Nora knelt down with him. Weiss dropped her weapon, too stunned to say anything. Blake and Yang leaned onto each other, keeping the other from fainting but tears running down their faces. Ozpin was quiet, himself stoic as ever as he looked at the two before him. While happy she was alive again, he looked at Jaune with worry. "What did you give up, Mister Arc?" He thought to himself.

Pyrrha glanced at them all. "H-Hello everyo-" but she did not get to finish as everyone ran to them, hugging the two as they fell to the ground.

"Hey guys! Be careful, she's still weak!" Jaune exclaimed as he made sure Pyrrha was not hurt by either of them. He was not mad at them, not in the slightest. He watched as Pyrrha was hugged in his arms and questions asked to her. She smiled awkwardly, but warmly as she wiped tears from Nora's face. Jaune smiled as everyone came together in a group hug, Pyrrha smiling as he nuzzled her. "Welcome home, Pyrrha," he said to her, giving her a quick peck on her forehead.

"Hello again, everyone!" she said with a joyful smile.


	15. The Autumn Knight

**A/N:** This is based on my Autumn Knight theory, but also as a sorta wish-fulfillment for the start of season 6 next month, so I wanted to write this before the new season starts. Also because I wish Jaune's fight with Cinder left her with more permanent wounds than that little scratch (though nothing like what will happen to her to in this one-shot). Plus, it's still Arkos-related because of a little hopeful wish I have that Jaune has a couple voices in his head, if you catch my drift.

Maybe one day I'll make it into a full-length story, but if anyone wants to take what I've written here in this one-shot and do that, feel free, just be sure to credit me with the original idea. I'd love to see this sort of idea fleshed out.

 **The Autumn Knight**

Repairing Mistral has been progressing well in the coming weeks since the attack. Team JNPR has been helping in the process while Team RWBY, Qrow, and Oscar went on to Atlas to find the Winter Maiden and the Relic of Creation. It was Jaune himself who made the decision to stay; his mission was to go to Mistral for information on Pyrrha's killer, and he found the woman responsible, but he failed in taking her down, and of that, Jaune felt ashamed of himself. Part of him––thought he knew he should not––wished that Cinder had survived her fight with Raven so he be given a second chance to kill her, as he felt he deserves the right to.

In the time they spent helping repair Mistral and helping Ghira and Kali dismantle the current White Fang and set up a new Faunus movement, now called the Human-Faunus Coalition, Jaune also took time to go find Pyrrha's home in Mistral.

There, he met with her only family, her mother, Pandora Nikos. Jaune delivered the news of Pyrrha's death, though he withheld the truth regarding Ozpin and his secret plan to transfer the Fall magic to her, telling her that Pyrrha was killed when she attempted to confront Cinder during the Fall of Vale. Pandora was silent as he explained everything before falling into his arms in tears.

After that, Pandora offered Jaune and his team her home for them to stay, of which the young knight accepted, though he could tell that she needed someone to be with her now. With his business done, he chose to head back to Haven where Ren and Nora were to tell them the news of their new dwelling.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Deep beneath Haven Academy, down in the dark depths of the hidden chamber that once held the Relic of Knowledge, Cinder Fall had recovered from her icy prison and was currently climbing out of the dark pit, her head filled with desires to kill Ruby and Raven, but the first thing she wanted to do was raze Mistral to the ground.

However, her appearance had drastically changed since her fight with Raven; her face was now covered in black skin, with a white skeletal bone covering her cheek. Her remaining arm was black as well, with the back of her hand bearing a gleaming golden gem upon it. It is a clear sign that the Grimm Scarab that rests within her is gaining more influence over her body, and her humanity itself is diminishing more and more as a result.

Upon reaching the platform, she blasted the elevator gate to pieces and began the flight up to ground level, her remaining eye glowing brightly with the Fall magic.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune met with his teammates back at Haven, where he notified them of their new living arrangement.

At that moment, the roof to Haven Academy burst open in a massive explosion of fire and splinters that shook the ground for miles around, of which Team JNPR felt. Jaune raced to the window and he lost his breath when he saw Cinder hovering above Haven. "It's her…" He grit his teeth and took off with his sword in hand, his determination to kill her himself stronger than ever.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Cinder wasted no time in destroying Haven as much as she could, burning fleeing citizens into dust with her Fall magic with a psychotic grin on her face. Authorities were quick to respond, already arriving on the scene and attempted to shoot her down, of which she easily avoided their gun blasts and incinerated them instead.

"CINDER!" yelled Jaune from down below. Cinder ceased her destruction to gaze down at the young knight with her burning eye.

"Ah, you again…" she remarked before descending down to the ground to meet him. "I remember you…the boy who doesn't know when to quit…who thought he could stand up to me…very well then, entertain me, boy." With that, Cinder threw up a ring of fire around the two of them, barring the authorities, Nora, and Ren from entering.

Jaune took one look at the bastard Maiden and saw the changes to her body, but he did not back away. _She's looking more and more like the monster she really is,_ he thought as he drew Crocea Mors and deployed its shield. As Pyrrha had taught him, he planted his feet wide and took a low stance. Cinder let loose a chuckle and materialized a sword carved of fire and dust from thin air. At once, a small airship of Mistral police passed by, where several officers with swords, spears, and guns dropped down, pointing them at Cinder. "Drop your weapon and surrender!" one of them ordered. Cinder gave them a cold stare before waving her hand and conjuring fire pillars below all of them, engulfing them completely with their screams. She conjured one below Jaune as well, but he was quick to dodge it in time.

Cinder rushed at him with her blade in hand, where they both clashed multiple times. They broke apart, swinging swords at one another and Jaune himself defending with his shield. Cinder dropped her sword and conjured a ball of fire in hand aimed for Jaune, but he was quick to bash her with his shield, which took the blast instead. Cinder jumped backwards and conjured tiny pellets of fire in midair with a wicked grin on her face as her eye burned bright. One by one, she launched each pellet at Jaune, who swatted them with his sword or blocked them with his shield, making them explode in tiny explosions that made him recoil from them, giving Cinder the chance to fly forward and snatch the boy up from his neck, lifting him into the air. Cinder grinned again as her hand began to slowly burn at his skin, making him cry out in pain.

At that moment, a massive grenade struck Cinder's backside, making her recoil and cease burning Jaune. Down below, Nora had Magnhild out with a smirk on her face. "Pathetic child…" Cinder grumbled.

"That's my friend you're insulting, witch!" Jaune cried out. His left hand lashed out at Cinder and he jammed his metal-covered thumb into her eye, causing it to bleed and making her scream, causing her to drop him to the ground, though his Aura protected him. He quickly retrieved his weapons and poised himself for combat once again. Cinder descended and glared the boy down, now with a face full of anger and a swollen eye with blood stained down her face.

"You never know when to give up, do you?!" the Fall Witch shrieked.

"Never. Always been a problem of mine," Jaune spoke with confidence.

"Well, it will spell your death today!" Cinder's left side grew a Grimm arm that stretched out for Jaune, latching itself onto his chest and halting him in place. She grinned as it sapped away at his life energy, but she was taken aback when Jaune's body suddenly glowed with a bright white light and he regained movement again; he raised his blade and hacked off the Grimm arm, forcing it to retreat back into Cinder's body. The light surrounding Jaune vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, but Jaune did not take notice of it. "You are a persistent fool to oppose me, your Fall Maiden, but if you will not die so easily…" Cinder's eyes surveyed the location of their battle, noticing Ren and Nora, but also the dozens of citizens and Haven students who watching the battle unfold as police forces stood poised, ready to move in, but unable to with Cinder already have killed several already. "…maybe the people of Mistral shall…"

With that, Cinder flew up into the air and conjured a giant ball of fire in her hand. Multiple police took aim and fired, but their bullets exploded before they could touch her. "ALL OF MISTRAL WILL BURN AT MY COMMAND!" Cinder declared. "

"NO! THE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT! DON'T HURT THEM!" Jaune desperately called out. "NORA! REN! GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE!"

"YOU TOLD ME ONCE BEFORE THAT THOSE AROUND YOU ARE THE ONES YOU CARE ABOUT! KNOW THAT THEY WILL ALL BURN IN AGONY WITH YOU!" With that, Cinder dropped her colossal fireball onto the people below. Jaune held his shield up, despite knowing that it would do nothing to protect him as the massive fireball hit them and engulfed the landscape in fire, destroying half of Haven Academy and the surrounding trees and buildings. Watching the destruction from above, Cinder chuckled to herself before exploding in a loud cackle, feeling victory sweep over her. "What a pitiful bug, thinking that he could kill me…" Cinder watched as the fire dispersed and faded, but she was shocked by what she saw below.

Down below, the entire landscape was surrounded in a humongous white shield that coated everyone below like spider webbing, completely protecting them from her fire, and the source of it came from Jaune, who was once again glowing with that white light again. The shield faded away and Jaune ceased glowing, but he seemed confused as to what had happened. _Is this his Semblance? What kind of power does he wield to protect everyone like that?_ Cinder wondered, but she quickly brushed it off to lower herself down to the ground. She threw up another wave of fire to keep Ren and Nora from aiding Jaune again.

"I'm impressed that you have such a power to wield," she complimented seriously. "Let's see how long your Aura can hold up after expending so much to protect everyone." With that, she shot a blast of fire at the young knight, who did not react in time, but before the blast made contact, Jaune glowed brightly again and the the white webbing around him absorbed the fire blast and rebounded it back at Cinder, who had barely avoided it in time to see it explode into a nearby tree stump.

This was Jaune's Semblance: the Aegis Shield. A force field he can conjured made of his own Aura that can rebound projectile attacks back at its wielder and allow him to protect himself and other with it.

 _"You finally discovered your Semblance…I'm so proud of you…"_ Jaune flinched at the sound of the voice, but he did not know where it came from. He glanced behind him, but the only ones near was Ren and Nora, but the voice was not theirs.

"JAUNE, LOOK OUT!" cried Nora.

Jaune snapped out of his daze to see Cinder already upon him, a wicked grin stretched across her lips. She swatted away his sword and shield and slapped her hand upon his left shoulder, searing the flesh and burning it. His remaining Aura withstood the worst of the damage, but it still burned his flesh and making him scream in agony. He glowed again, this time his Aura finally gave out, unleashing a short burst of energy that knocked Cinder backwards, but it was clear that Jaune's Aura was fully depleted. He fell to the ground in pain, a permanent burn scar left upon his left shoulder and arm, the clothes and armor burned away.

"You're finished…" Cinder scooped up a spear from one of the dead police and made her way for the wounded knight.

" _Concentrate, Jaune…it's not over yet!"_ said the voice again. _"Control the spear…channel your Aura into your left hand and block the spear with it! It's metal! It'll work!"_

"I have…no Aura…left…" he groaned as he tried crawling away.

 _"None of yours, no, but mine…"_

Jaune's eyes shot open with a gasp. He remembers the voice now, even if it's been months since he last heard it. He rolled over in time to see Cinder standing over him with the spear aimed for his heart. "Now die!" she yelled before thrusting downward.

 _"NOW, JAUNE!"_ At the voice's command, Jaune channeled Aura into his left hand, making it glow black, and threw it up to meet the spear, halting it in midair, but it failed to pierce his skin. Cinder was shocked, but she merely lifted the spear again and brought it down again, and again Jaune stopped it with his hand, now capable of controlling metal objects. _"Now draw that swords towards you."_ Jaune obeyed and with his right hand, he made another police sword skid across the ground and fly into his hand, which he swung at Cinder, forcing her to jump back to avoid it.

Jaune jumped to his feet and drew his shield back into his hand, though he winced at the pain in his left arm, which he knew he had to ignore. Now on the offensive, Jaune moved forward with sword in hand, swinging at Cinder, who dropped her spear to conjure a flaming sword in hand, but she was already losing now. Jaune blocked every strike from her, but his sword failed to hit her. He quickly dropped it and made a spear fly into his hand, giving him more reach. He lunged and the spearhead struck Cinder in the stomach, drawing blood. He dropped the spear, leaving it dangling in her wound, and made Crocea Mors fly into his hand, where he lead with a stabbing strike, but Cinder deflected it and swung to strike at his head, but Jaune had no time to dodge it. _"Remember how I raised your shield against your will?"_ Jaune channeled Aura into his shield and forcibly raised it––making him winch in pain at the jerking motion––and Cinder's blade struck and glided down Jaune's shield and fell at her side at the end of her swing, allowing Jaune to strike again, this time with a stab that finds its target. Steel pierced flesh and bone, and Cinder coughed up blood, her eye widened in horror at what had happened; the boy she underestimated bested her!

Cinder ceased trying and let her sword vanish into dust as she staggered backwards, the sword still plunged into her stomach. "How…?" she gurgled. The ring of fire faded, allowing Ren, Nora, and the police to move in, but the two young Huntsmen motioned for the police to stay back.

"You lost because you killed someone I love, and in turn, it turned me into the one person you should've feared most," Jaune told her.

Cinder gazed upon him as she fell to her knees. "That Pyrrha Nikos girl…" Jaune withdrew his blade, forcing blood to pour out of Cinder's open wounds, where he then transformed it into its bastard sword form.

"I want you to remember her and regret the day you killed her, as well as everyone else you killed in Vale in your pursuit for power, because it ends today," Jaune declared as he raised his sword high.

"…Nikos…" Cinder mumbled as she looked upon her greatest enemy as he brought his sword down, cleaving her head clean off. Cinder's head tumbled from her neck and fell in a pool of her blood––her eye forever frozen open––then her body crumbled to the ground.

"JAUNE!" cried Nora. The two rushed for their friend, and soon a third joined them, it being Pandora Nikos, who saw the events unfold on the TV networks. Above, a news helicopter hovered over the scene of the fight, having recorded everything that had transpired.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pandora asked him, taking him into her arms like a mother would for their child. She released him once he mumbled out that he was okay.

The people of Mistral gathered around Jaune, all of them singing praises of him, but everyone quickly hushed up at a strange sight: Cinder Fall's body was glowing with a bright orange light.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora recognized the sight though: the sign of a Maiden's magic about to transfer to a successor. Three beams of orange light burst from Cinder's dead body and flew into the air, but they returned to fly directly for Jaune, where they vanished into his chest, making him glow orange all over. Jaune let out a painful cry as his weapons fell from his hands and he fell onto all fours.

"JAUNE!" cried Ren.

"JAUNE!" cried Nora.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" shrieked Pandora.

 _"JAUNE!"_

Jaune writhed about on the ground, his body glowing brightly with the Fall magic, until he suddenly went still, himself looking up at the sky with his eyes closed.

No man can become a Maiden, not through the Inheritance Cycle that has existed for over a thousand years, but just as Cinder had stolen the magic for her own purposes, there are always other means of acquiring such power. For Jaune Arc, all it took was a woman named Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha Nikos, who transferred some of her own Aura to him, would not know that Jaune Arc would unknowingly keep her Aura until it had melded and mixed with his own, yet remaining separate and unusable until he had gained mastery over his own Aura. It also took Jaune's own efforts in killing the false Maiden Cinder Fall and making her think of Pyrrha Nikos in her last moments, but with Pyrrha Nikos dead, the only place the Fall Magic could go would be to the only bit of Pyrrha Nikos that remains in the world of the living, and that was in Jaune Arc himself, who houses a piece of her soul within himself.

From above, the Gods watched all this unfold. They were all satisfied seeing the false Maiden finally meet her end and for the magic to find a worthy successor, though being the most unlikely of them all. They knew how important Jaune Arc will be in ending the war that Ozpin and Salem have waged with each other for over a thousand years, and for a boy who wished to be like his predecessors and the heroes in stories, to fight alongside the last Silver-Eyed Warriors and Ozpin as the first ever male Maiden, who could wish for a greater role to serve as a hero of Remnant?

"Jaune…?" went Nora, who booped him in the nose.

"Jaune…" went Ren, who stayed still.

"Are you okay, Jaune?" mumbled Pandora Nikos.

 _"Wake up, Jaune…"_ said the voice of Pyrrha Nikos within him.

Jaune's eyes opened, now engulfed in the fires of the Fall magic.

The Autumn Knight, a man with two souls, has awakened.


	16. Pyrrha Lives AU

**A/N:** Originally, this was meant for Arkos Week on Tumblr, but my laptop's battery died on me and needed to be replaced, which took a couple weeks to get fixed, so I ended up unable to participate in Arkos Week for this year, but after finding this one-shot half-finished, I knew I should at least finish it.

Pyrrha sat before Cinder, who had an arrow nocked and aimed straight for her. Pyrrha closed her eyes, having already accepted her fate. A flood of memories rushed to her mind: the first time she ever held a sword. The day she won her first championship and seeing her mother's glowing pride. Graduating top of her class at Sanctum. Meeting Jaune for the first time and taking a liking to him. When she became a member of Team JNPR. The many nights she spent training Jaune, whom quickly became her best friend. Finally, her latest memory with Jaune, where she kissed him to convey how much she loved him, and she could vividly remember his hands around her waist and how he pulled her closer; it told her all she needed to know about how he felt about her. _Jaune…_ she thought as tears came to her closed eyes.

"PYRRHA!" screamed a voice from nowhere, and suddenly, everything went white and she knew nothing.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

All Pyrrha could see was absolute darkness. She felt as if she was floating in a sea of nothing. _Am I dead?_ she wondered. As if to answer her question, a ray of light appeared.

Her eyes opened and she was met with a wooden ceiling. She blinked and she felt energy in her body. _I'm alive…_ She lifted herself up and realized she was in a bed, and through a nearby window she could see autumn trees outside. "What…?" Pyrrha weakly muttered before realizing there was a heavy weight on her, which turned out to be Jaune, who was sprawled over on top of her legs with the lower half of his body draping onto the floor. "…Jaune…" Tears rushed to her eyes as she suddenly remembered what happened that night.

 _I left him…I left him knowing that I loved him…and I almost died with him knowing it…_ Her hand reached for him and dug into his scraggily blond hair. Tears flooded her eyes and she broke into sobs, where she threw herself upon Jaune, who was harshly awakened, and the two fell onto the floor with Jaune groaning as he hit.

Jaune did not say anything, but when he realized who was on top of him, he was quick to put his arms around her and just hug her while she cried her eyes out. "It's okay, it's okay," he whispered in her ear on repeat.

"I…I…" Pyrrha mumbled. "…I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have left you the way I did…I shouldn't have tried fighting her…"

"Pyrrha, it's okay. You did what you thought was right, and I'm just happy that you're okay," Jaune assured her.

"B-But I failed! I couldn't stop Cinder, and I hurt you in the end!" she cried, pulling herself away to look at him.

Jaune gave her a small smile and wiped at her eyes. "Then I'm glad you failed and lived, because that's what's important." He pulled her into another hug. "You're not truly invincible, and there's no shame in admitting it, so please remember that the next time you need help, okay?" He moved closer to her and pressed his lips to hers, catching her by surprise. "I love you, Pyrrha," he whispered in between his kiss. Pyrrha felt her body relax and she closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around him and deepening it, just as he had in front of Beacon.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. Jaune hushed her and kissed her again. She relished in the moment, enjoying the time she now has with the man she loved.

"C'mon, let's go see everyone. You're probably starving right about now," Jaune told her. As if on cue, her stomach started rumbling loud enough for him to hear, making him chuckle. He lifted her up and seated her in a wheelchair that was in the room, wherein he wheeled her out into the living room, where the rest of their team, Qrow, and Taiyang were. Ren and Nora were ecstatic to see that Pyrrha was okay, even if she could not walk on her own anymore. Nora herself exploded in a fountain of tears and smiles as she gave Pyrrha a massive bear hug while excitingly expressing how happy she was to see her best friend okay.

While Pyrrha conversed with her friends again and spoke with Qrow with everything that happened (he would tell her to not worry about failing to receive the Fall magic, claiming that they should not have burdened her with the responsibility), Jaune went into the kitchen and fixed up a sandwich of ham, cheese and mayonnaise for Pyrrha, which she happily chowed down on.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In the days that followed, Jaune, Nora, and Ren helped Pyrrha steadily recover from the Fall of Vale, though with her now wheelchair-bound forever, it proved to be difficult. She became extremely depressed after everything that had happened and it seemed like having her friends, Jaune especially, close to her was the only thing that helped. Jaune himself took on the role as her personal caretaker, from wheeling her around, helping her in the bathroom, cooking her meals, and, most importantly, being by her side for everything, especially when she seemed to have lost her will to do anything on her own, even refusing to try to stand up on her own without support.

"Pyrrha, how are you feeling?" Jaune asked her a couple weeks later as he sat upon the couch with her tucked under his arm.

"I dunno…" she mumbled as she stared into space.

"You'll get through this, I promise, and I'll here for you every step of the way." He gave her a smile and embraced her in a loving hug, which warmed her spirits.

Later that night, Jaune took Pyrrha to bed and was about to lift her into bed when she told him she wanted to try doing it on her own, so he stood back. Pyrrha wearily lifted herself off of her wheelchair and applied weight onto her left foot, but just as soon as she did, she suddenly lurched off to the side, forcing Jaune to catch her in his arms. "I've got you!…I've got you…" he assured her. He was about to lay her down when he realized that she was crying. He held her close and let her cry on his shoulder.

"I'm so worthless…I can't do anything anymore…I can never be the Pyrrha I was again…" she sobbed.

"You're wrong," he whispered to her, holding her close in his arms. "You haven't changed one bit, you just can't walk on your own." He lifted her crying body up and laid her into her bed, but before he could walk away, he felt her hand tighten around his wrist.

"Please…don't leave me tonight…" Jaune looked upon her for a moment before he nodded. He undressed and crawled under the covers with her, where she huddled close to him.

 _Is this what becomes of Pyrrha after such a loss? Failing as a Huntress, killing Penny, and whatever was going on with Ozpin?_ He wondered as she shivered in bed. He ran an arm around her and pulled her close, where she finally went still. "I'm here," he whispered to her. Pyrrha's response was to tighten her embrace on him.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Autumn continued on until Winter poked its head into the world and the autumn leaves began to disappear, and during that time, Jaune, Ren, and Nora have been helping Pyrrha learn to walk with a steady cane, and while she continued to wobble and fall, she soon gained control over her balance and could now walk, albeit at a slow and staggering pace. However, with this development came news: General Ironwood will be sending a small medical airship to Patch to deliver Pyrrha home to her family in Argus, as a token of appreciation for her efforts and sacrifice in the Fall of Vale, which is expected to arrive the next day.

Jaune packed up what little Pyrrha could take with her, from extra clothes and her personal belongings that she had on her person, including her shield and broken siphons, but Pyrrha insisted on leaving them behind. "They're useless to a cripple who can't fight anymore," she told him with sorrow in her eyes. Jaune let out a low sigh and put the weapons back into the dresser and they continued on with their day, but there was a heavy air of sadness among JNPR, knowing that they will be parting ways with one of them in less than a day.

By nighttime, Pyrrha wished Ren and Nora good night, receiving loving hugs from them both, and retreated to her bedroom, where Jaune soon came in afterwards. Pyrrha lifted herself into her bed by herself and settled herself under the blankets. "Will you be okay for tonight?" Jaune asked her.

"I don't know…" she mumbled.

Jaune chose to get in bed with her, however. They snuggled close to each other and remained still, letting the moonlight illuminate the room while the night kept everything silent. "I'm going to miss you when you leave," he whispered to her.

"Promise that you'll come visit me in Argus sometime?"

"Of course. I'll be sure to bring Ren and Nora too." They both fell silent again, but Jaune soon spoke up again. "It might be sooner than you think, though. Now that Ruby has awakened, Qrow has told us that the woman who attacked Vale originally came from Vale, but with all the Huntsmen stationed in Vale trying to clean up the city, no one is able to go track her down."

"You're going to go after her?" Pyrrha asked.

"We don't expect to find her there, but it's a start. Cinder needs to be brought to justice, one way or another," Jaune pulled Pyrrha close to himself. "but I promise you I won't do anything reckless. I won't die, and I will come back to you, I promise."

Pyrrha gazed up at him and saw that he was smiling. She knew that he was being serious, and deep down, she knew that he would keep his word. She looked upon the man she loved and admired and saw the hero she had glimpsed when they first met. She reached up and kissed his lips, and Jaune returned it, and instantly Pyrrha's body grew hot and heavy. She pulled away with a "mwah" before gazing upon him, her mind swirling with many thoughts, but one was at the forefront, and it was one that made blush a deep red.

"Jaune, may I do something?" she whispered to him in the dark.

"What is it?"

Pyrrha grabbed his waist and hoisted herself on top of him, sitting straight up on his lap. Her long red hair hung around her clothed body, hiding her blushing face. _I want to show him how much I truly love him…I want to connect with him on this last night together…_ "This…" she finally said before unbuttoning her pajama shirt and letting it fall, exposing her naked body to him, making his eyes bulge wide.

Having lived together in a co-ed dorm, seeing each other naked was a probable sight, though both the boys and girls of JNPR did their best to avoid such embarrassing encounters by establishing dorm rules and such, but despite that, Jaune and Pyrrha both would end up accidentally walking in on one another half-naked a couple times, prompting them both to cover their eyes with screams of quips like "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here!" before one would scurry out.

"Pyr…Pyrrha…what are you…?" Jaune fumbled.

"I want to…to make love with you, Jaune…" Pyrrha lowered herself down and pressed her forehead to his. Her red hair fell around his face, tickling his skin, as she put her hands on his cheeks. "I don't want us to leave with any more regrets between us, not now, or ever."

Jaune's hands moved on their own around her waist, where his fingers dug into her skin. "Pyrrha, is that what this is? Regrets? My only regret was not realizing how much I loved you before I almost lost you." He pulled her close, making her breasts squish against his shirt. "And Pyrrha, I won't make love to you because of regrets, I will do it because of how much I love you." With that, he pressed his lips to her with a soft moan, and she returned it, but Jaune soon felt something wet and realized, even with his eyes closed, he knew that Pyrrha was crying.

He lifted himself up with her in his arms. "It's okay, I'm here…" he whispered to her as he wiped at her eyes. "I'm staying right here with you tonight, and I'll be with you until you leave tomorrow, but right now, we have the entire night to ourselves."

"Oh…Jaune!" Pyrrha cried before kissing him again, now more passionately than before. As they kissed, Pyrrha undid Jaune's shirt and peeled it off of him, but neither of them stopped in their passionate embrace. Jaune ran his hands through Pyrrha's red hair before his fingers curled around her back, making her let out a long moan of pleasure. "Jaune…I'm ready to go further if you are…"

"I'm ready too…" They both separated for a moment to remove the rest of their clothing before coming back together again, both of them blushing like crazy now. Their hands explored each other's bodies before Pyrrha pushed Jaune down onto the bed and crawled on top of him.

"I'll start…" she whispered as she hovered herself over his cock with her hand guiding it for her entrance. "…I'll cease being a virgin when this enters me…" Pyrrha said while she bit her smiling lip before lowering herself down and Jaune's penis grazed her pussy's lips, making her wince. She rubbed herself on him a few times before finally going back down, making his cock disappear inside of her, sparking a loud cry from the girl. The sensation was so incredible for her that she fell forward onto her love, forcing him to catch her. "I'm sorry!"

Jaune kissed her cheek. "It's fine." They both looked down and realized that they were still connected, and they smiled at each other. Pyrrha began to bop up and down with repeated moans as Jaune held her tight. "This feels so amazing, Pyrrha!"

"It feels so good for me too, Jaune! I feel…I'm close! I didn't think my first time would make me cum so quickly!" she cried out.

"Me too!" Jaune cried back, already reaching his climax.

"Cum inside me, Jaune! Please!" They closed together in a loving kiss while Pyrrha kept pistoning up and down on Jaune, until he suddenly grabbed her hips and pushed her down all the way, where he then came, his hot semen bursting inside of her womb and filling her up. Pyrrha let out a pleasurable cry before her voice cut off, followed by small gasps.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha went still as they took in the moment, both of them now connected with each other in body and soul. They gazed upon each other and smiled; in that moment, they knew that they will be together forever, for all their days, and Jaune realized this very well when he said what he was thinking of.

"Pyrrha, will you marry me one day?"

Tears rushed to Pyrrha's eyes as she embraced Jaune in a tight hug. "YES! OH, YES, JAUNE!"

They spent the remainder of the night in each other's arms, both of them feeling as if they were in heaven when with each other, and for Pyrrha, the dread that she would be separated from her friends the next day had vanished.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Tomorrow came quickly without warning, and with it, an Atlesian medical bullhead with an Atlesian nurse tasked with taking care of Pyrrha for not only the trip, but also for her well-being at home to ensure a speedy and exceptional recovery, a gift courtesy of General Ironwood. Team JNPR packed Pyrrha's belongings, save for her broken weapons, which she chose to leave behind, and they each gave her a parting gift: a good-good-luck charm from Ren, a boop from Nora, and from Jaune, he gave her his Pumpkin Pete hoodie, of which Pyrrha slipped on as soon as she received it.

"Hey, Jaune, aren't you gonna kiss your girlfriend before she leaves?" Nora teased them. She gave them a wink, and that was all that she needed to say for them to know that she knew what they did the night before. With blushing cheeks, Jaune and Pyrrha shared one last kiss before the nurse loaded her into the bullhead and it took off, with Pyrrha waving to them from the window.

It would be over a year, from their journey to Mistral as Team RNJR, discovering the truth of the world they live in, stopping Salem's plans to steal the Relic of Knowledge, and fighting Cinder and her minions, before Team JNPR would eventually head to Argus, where they reunited with Pyrrha again.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Team JNPR knocked on the Nikos' house door, they were greeted by Pyrrha's mother, Pandora Nikos. "Oh, I recognize you three. C'mon in." She lead the three to the living room, where she got them glasses of iced tea. "I imagine you're here to see Pyrrha. She's up in her room, but I'd like Jaune to go visit her first; I imagine you two have a lot of catching up to do."

"Thank you, Miss Nikos," said Jaune. With that, he headed upstairs and disappeared behind a door at the end of the hall.

"I swear, it's hard raising two kids," Pandora grumbled.

"Wait, I thought Pyrrha was an only child?" went Ren

"She is." The three were silent for a moment, but then Nora suddenly gasped and drew the biggest smile she could muster, her clenched hands waving in front of her face.

Upstairs, Jaune entered Pyrrha's room, which was decorated in red wallpaper and adorned with medals and pictures. Across the room and past her bed, Pyrrha sat in a rocking chair facing the window with her back to Jaune. "Pyrrha…" he began.

Pyrrha cranked her head around and smiled. "Jaune! You finally came! I'm so happy to see you!" She spun around in her seat, and tucked in her arms was a baby girl with red hair wrapped in a red blanket.

Jaune came around and knelt down to see the baby girl. "Who's this, your baby sister?"

"Her name is Corona, and she is our daughter," Pyrrha told him, making him gasp. He looked up at her, his face riddled with confusion. "That night at Patch, it was enough. I found out I was pregnant a few months later. I was shocked, scared too, but most of all, I was happy that the love we had together resulted in Corona, and despite how difficult my pregnancy was on my own, I never regretted the decision we made that night." With that, she handed Corona over to Jaune, who cradled her in his arms.

"Hello, Corona, I'm your daddy. Sorry I wasn't here to see you come into this world," Jaune cooed. Corona opened her eyes, and Jaune found his own blue eyes staring back at him. "She has my eyes…"

"How long will you be staying?"

"We need to regroup with Team RWBY and head to Atlas; turns out that there's more to this world than we thought and we've got a powerful enemy to defeat…but we can stay for maybe a week or so, just long enough to wait for them to catch up to us," he answered.

"And then?"

"And then, I dunno, but I promise both you and Corona that no matter how long this adventure takes, I will come back to you both, and when I do, we'll finally get married."

Pyrrha gave him a warm smile and stood up, balancing on her cane. She leaned herself against him and kissed his lips. "I know that you'll keep your promise, as you always have. I love you, Jaune."

"I love you too, Pyrrha."

For as long as she could recall, Pyrrha never felt happier in her life. Never before has she ever felt so grateful for being alive and having the love and friends that exist in her life. The horrors of the Fall of Vale and the night she almost died have long since faded away like a bad nightmare, now replaced with a wonderful dream come true, one where she survived that horrible night and continued living.


	17. Apparently There's Iron in Blood

**A/N:** Based on Moistmailman's tumblr prompt suggesting how powerful Pyrrha's Polarity could be if she got augmented by Jaune's Semblance…or, to put it bluntly, remember how Magneto escaped from his prison in X-Men 2? Original idea belongs to Moistmailman.

 **Apparently There's Iron in Blood**

Jaune laid in the streets of war-torn Vale during the massive attack by both Grimm, White Fang, and the mysterious woman wielding fire. He groaned as he picked himself up and staggered towards the rocket locker that he came from, directly after Pyrrha had pushed him into it and sent him away.

 _Why…?_ he wondered. _…Why did she send me away? Pyrrha can't…she would NEVER try to fight an enemy she knew she couldn't beat, not one that beat Ozpin!_ He looked in the distance and saw the massive Grimm Dragon flying around the top of Beacon Tower, the same place he knew Pyrrha was, confronting that witch that was the cause of all of the destruction around him.

Jaune placed his hand over his heart, and even with the sounds of Grimm, screaming, and destruction around him, he could hear his heart thumping loudly. Tears rushed to his eyes and his mind painted an image of Pyrrha dying at the hands of that witch, and deep down, he knew why he was feeling this way. It was not just because Pyrrha is his best friend––the one person in his life that he could call his best friend––or his partner, it was because he loved her, and he knew it straight away when she kissed him mere minutes ago.

Ever since the Vytal prom, when he danced with her while wearing that silly dress, new, unknown feelings began to brew inside of him, and they were directed at Pyrrha. Jaune was quick to recognize that these were feelings of love, obviously so, hinted by the many teen drama/romance movies he watched growing up, but he rejected these feelings at first. "Of all the people he could fall in love with, why Pyrrha?" he would ask himself many times. It was not just because of her beauty alone, but because she is his best friend and partner; if it turned out his feelings were misguided or that she did not love him back, then he feared that it would only make things awkward between them and ruin their dynamics in future battles, and so, Jaune suppressed his feelings, instead wanting to remain just her best friend, that is, until she kissed him.

When Pyrrha's lips touched his, all the feelings that Jaune had been suppressing came out in full force, overwhelming his entire being and making him return it, which he did by wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her close, returning that kiss. In that brief moment, the entire world dissolved around him and everything that had happened became an after-thought as he soaked in that moment and his mind merely told him " _She loves you, you idiot!_ " before she shoved him into that locker with her polarity and sent him away.

"I was so freaking stupid!" Jaune yelled at himself, pounding his fist against the locker. He looked up at Beacon Tower and saw the roof had now exploded into pieces, the Grimm Dragon still flying about. "Pyrrha…" His mind conjured another image, this one of Pyrrha in tears, her body cut up and covered in her blood, with that witch standing over her with an evil smirk as his beloved begged for mercy, and it made tears rush down his cheeks again.

Jaune hit the locker again, but this time, he heard a faint _blip_ coming from it, and when he looked up, he saw the hologram for its rocket coordinates flash onto its screen. Right there, he knew what he had to do. _Pyrrha sent me away to protect me, but right now, she needs my help._ He quickly inputted a destination for Beacon Tower and pinpointed its exact landing spot for the center of the tower, right where Pyrrha would be. He climbed in the locker with his sword and shield drawn and the locker took off.

Atop Beacon Tower, Pyrrha had already lost; her xiphos was shattered to pieces, her shield laid in a corner, her Aura completely depleted, and an arrow stuck out of her ankle, leaving her immobile. Cinder gave an evil smirk, content with her well-earned victory. She materialized her bow and nocked an arrow, aimed straight for Pyrrha's heart, but right before she let loose, a loud _BOOM_ echoed from behind her, knocking her off-balance.

Looking behind her, Cinder saw Jaune Arc step out of the locker with his weapons already drawn and a mean glare on his face with dagger eyes pointed for her. _Now what does he think he can do to me?_ she wondered as she bared a toothy grin.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH!" Jaune screamed at her.

"Well, since your little girlfriend wouldn't beg for her life…maybe she'll beg for yours…" Cinder turned her bow towards Jaune now.

"NO! LET HIM GO! HE'S NO THREAT TO YOU!" Pyrrha begged, grabbing hold of Cinder's ankle, but the Fall Witch merely kicked her in the face and turned her attention back to Jaune.

"Let's see if he thinks he's a threat to me then." With that, Cinder let loose her arrow. Jaune barely had time to raise her shield when it imbedded itself through its steel, stopping short of his own face. Jaune raced for Cinder with a yell, and she in turn fired another arrow, which met Jaune's shield in the nick of time. Jaune drew close and swung, which met Cinder's bow, who split the two halves into their blades, forcing Jaune to jump backwards to avoid their swing. Cinder rushed at him, forcing him to block her strikes with his blade and shield, barring him from being able to fight back, but he soon saw his moment when he was backed into a corner against a wall. He saw an opportunity though: Cinder lunged forward for a stab with her left blade, to which Jaune sidestepped it, where it embedded itself into the stone wall. Cinder swung her other blade, but Jaune already saw it coming; he lifted his shield at the right angle, making the blade skid across it and falling downwards, leaving Cinder open, where he lunged his blade for her stomach, but before steel could meet flesh, a fiery explosion appeared before him, knocking him backwards against the wall and sending his sword and shield across the floor.

"So close, and yet so far," Cinder teased him, fire dancing on her fingertips. "However, you did well for such a weakling." With that, she materialized a fiery javelin in her hands. "Ready to die?"

Jaune looked upon his foe with a defiant glare, but there was no fear in his eyes. "You won't scare me that easily. I've been ready to die ever since I came to Beacon, and at least I can say I did my best against a witch like you."

"You kids never seem to fear anything!" Cinder growled. She lowered her javelin, but then she suddenly spun around and tossed it, where it impaled itself through Pyrrha's chest, puncturing her lung, heart, and spine before coming out her back. It happened so fast, Pyrrha did not even realize what happened until she looked upon the fiery shaft protruding in front of her. She felt her insides cauterize and burn, and she began choking to death as her major organs went into overdrive, desperate to save her life.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed in horror. He dashed to her side while Cinder watched and relished in the pain the boy was experiencing. By the time he reached her, the javelin had vanished into fiery embers, leaving two massive, bloody holes in Pyrrha's body. He held her in his arms as tears ran down both of their faces. "Don't…stay with me, okay?" he begged her. Pyrrha breathed heavily, her life already running short. She placed her hand in Jaune's and tried to speak, but only gurgles would come out. "I love you, Pyrrha…please know that…" he whispered to her. "…I'm sorry I didn't realize it until tonight…I'm so sorry…" Pyrrha began to stay still and her breathing slowed down more and more as Jaune realized that she was going to die in his arms. He reached down and kissed her lips, despite that she could not muster the strength to return it, but that was when a miracle happened.

Jaune's entire body glowed with a brilliant and warm white light, which enveloped Pyrrha as well, making her breathe a little quicker. "Pyrrha?" Jaune took his hands from hers and placed it upon the massive hole in her chest, and he was marveled to see that inside, Pyrrha's vital organs were growing back, undoing the damage. The cauterized and burned blood vessels grew back, her shredded heart regrew and began pumping, at the very back, he saw the exit wound close up completely, her torn lung repaired itself and her breath increased and returned to normal, blood began to flow, and before he knew it, Jaune watched the hole in her chest shrink under repaired skin, until the only sign of damage left was the blood on his hands and clothes and the long trail that ran down her chest. "PYRRHA!" He hugged her tight, despite that she was still hurt, but she was alive.

"Oh, how touching, but you forgot that I am still here, boy!" Cinder called, where she nocked an arrow to her bow. "Doubt you'll be able to heal her again, not if I kill you first!"

Jaune held Pyrrha close and moved himself between her and Cinder, his body still glowing brightly with his Aura. Cinder fired, but when the arrow reached Jaune, his white Aura absorbed the arrow and disintegrated it into nothing, causing no harm to him. Cinder was shocked, but she merely readied another arrow and fired again, only for it to meet the same result. "Fine! I'll just slice at your head until your Aura gives out!" She tossed one blade aside and made her way for the two.

 _I see it now,_ Pyrrha thought as Jaune's Aura continued to unconsciously fill her up. _Jaune's Semblance allows him to transfer his Aura to someone else to replenish theirs, and augment's their natural abilities, even shields and healing…could it also power up Semblances…?_ Pyrrha shifted herself in Jaune's grip to get a look at Cinder. _I can hear the sound of metal all around me…in Jaune's armor, my armor, his weapons and my shield way over there, the cogs, the locker…I can…hear metal in our bodies…how…?_

Pyrrha chose not to question this any further when Cinder reached them both and raised her sword to strike. Jaune held Pyrrha close, determined to use himself as a shield, but Pyrrha stuck her hand out, enveloped in her black Aura, and she felt metal––iron, to be precise––in Cinder's sword arm. She clenched her hand, and Cinder's arm suddenly exploded at the elbow in a shower of blood.

The witch screamed in agonizing pain while while her arm, the sword still clenched in her hand, fell to the floor lifelessly. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she screeched as she slapped her hand onto the wounds, desperate to stop the bleeding. Pyrrha did not answer, instead trying to focus on the iron in Cinder's blood again, but her aim was off and Cinder's left leg exploded now, sending her toppling onto the floor as her screams increased. "YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Cinder screamed repeatedly as she squirmed and flailed about. Finally, Pyrrha tracked the iron in her brain and clenched her hand again, this time, Cinder's entire head exploded and her body went still in a pool of her own blood.

"Not done yet…Jaune, I need more of your Aura…" Jaune nodded and wrapped his arms around her tighter, filling her up with more of his Aura. Pyrrha reached both hands to the sky and she detected the iron in the Grimm Dragon's entire body. She clenched her hands, and the monster erupted into a massive explosion, sending a storm of blood upon Beacon Tower, coating it and the two Huntsmen entirely in blood.

Pyrrha collapsed in Jaune's arms while his body ceased glowing, instead he crackled with white energy, indicating that his Aura had fully depleted. "Pyrrha, you okay?"

"I am now, all thanks to you," she wheezed, herself completely exhausted. "I don't suppose you still have any Aura left for my ankle?"

"Sorry, I'm out. Most of my healing went into your wound."

"Your Semblance isn't healing, its Aura-sharing. You transferred your Aura to me to replenish mine and augment its strength, hence how I healed from such major wounds, and you did the same to your own shields to stop her arrows," she explained.

 _Still trying to play my teacher, even now._ "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad I have it." He hugged her tight and the two smiled, despite that they both were covered in blood. "And Pyrrha, I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner, but, I love you."

"I'm sorry I tried sending you away like that, I must've hurt you so much, but I was trying to protect you…instead, it was the worst decision I could've made, and I can't believe I did that to you…" Pyrrha took in a deep breath. "…and I love you too, and I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner…"

With that, Jaune cupped her face and kissed her lips, despite the taste of blood. Pyrrha returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and his hands went around her waist, just like in front of the tower. This kiss felt so much better, so full of passion and love for each other, and once again, the world seemed to have melted away and they forgot that they were drenched in blood, at least until a voice yelled "What in the Gods' name happened here?!" snapping them both back to reality to see that Glynda and Qrow had arrived, and they both were shocked at the scene before them. Glynda strolled through the blood, but she gave a shriek when her shoe hit against something soft, which turned out to be part of Cinder's head, and Qrow came upon one of Cinder's arms.

"Um, I don't really know how to explain it either," Pyrrha remarked with a half-smirk.

"Well, first off, did you know that the human body, and even Grimm, have iron in their bloodstreams, because we just found that out a while ago," went Jaune, which only earned a puzzled look from Qrow and a disgusted look from Glynda. "Well, we can go into the details later."

"AFTER we get you two cleaned up!" Glynda added, waving her riding crop at them both. "Qrow, go down and get a medic team and a bullhead up here for these two." Qrow saluted her and flew off in his crow form.

"Also, I just want to add that while it was me who killed the woman and the Grimm Dragon, Jaune should get all the credit; I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for him." Glynda rolled her eyes while Pyrrha turned her attention back to her blood-soaked partner. "You deserve the fame and glory for this one, Jaune."

"Aw, thanks, Pyrrha!" He hugged her tightly.

While Vale and the CCT were still destroyed with many casualties, the Grimm Dragon and Cinder Fall, who orchestrated the attack, were destroyed by Team Arkos, earning humanity a victory against evil, all thanks to their special Semblances and their love for each other.


	18. Nora Breaks Time and Space for Arkos

**A/N:** Here's a one-shot birthed by the chibi skits of Nora drinking coffee and breaking the space-time continuum and glimpsing into other worlds and timelines. I got the idea from an image of Death Wish Coffee, supposedly the strongest coffee ever, and wondered what Nora could do if she drank that and more.

Also, two one-shots in two days? To quote Wesley Snipes: "Damn, I must be possessed! Wonder if I could play the accordion too!"

 **Nora Breaks Time and Space for Arkos**

"Nora, are you really sure this would work?" Jaune asked as he stared at the row of ground coffee and energy drinks before her and Ren. "I mean, I know you get super hyper when you drink caffeine, but it sounds absurd that you could travel across time and space if you get hyper enough. I mean, that's some _Space Trek_ levels of crazy."

"I know it sounds strange, but I've seen it happen once before," Ren remarked. "Once, Nora needed a jolt for late-night studying and she mixed an energy drink with coffee and next thing I knew, she just…blinked out of existence, like she just disappeared, then reappeared a few seconds later."

"Yeah! It was insane!" Nora exclaimed as she began adding three different coffee grounds into the coffee maker. "I'm not sure where I went to, but it looked like our world, but the big difference was that in that world, Grimm are actually friendly and docile, and can be domesticated. The Nora I saw in that world had a pet Ursa she named Dante, it was so cool! Plus, I was there for a couple hours before I suddenly came back! So weird!"

"But Nora, you don't need to do this, even for me…"

Ren and Nora stopped for a moment to look at him. "I'm not doing this just for you, Jaune, I'm doing this for all three of us."

"Jaune, we know you and Pyrrha were close, and we know that you lost someone you truly loved that night, but we lost our sister that night in Vale," continued Ren. "You and Pyrrha are like family to us, so if we can fix things by doing this, then we have to at least try." Ren went back to mixing the energy drinks together.

"Now, if my theory is correct, by having Nora ingest enough caffeine and receiving a electrical energy charge with some Dust, she should become hyper enough to be able to travel to multiple worlds, assuming she goes to the wrong one the first time, and so on, but she'll have to ingest more caffeine after about thirty minutes to refuel her systems to do more jumps, especially if she finds a Pyrrha. We don't want to separate a Pyrrha from her Jaune, so we're hoping that she'll come across a world where Pyrrha lived, but you died, Jaune, that way, we can convince her to come to our world instead."

"I'm sure the you and me of that world won't mind if we take their Pyrrha. I mean, I think they'd rather see our two lovebirds reunite than have her be sad forever," Nora interjected.

"That's what I'm hoping for, anyway. I don't know how long this may take, or even if it'll work, but given how the first time Nora traveled to that domesticated Grimm world the Nora there was the same age as her, I imagine at least half of the possible worlds out there might operate on the same time spectrum as ours, so the Pyrrha we're looking for will be the same age as we are living in the same date and time, especially if we're looking for one in a world where she lives instead of you, Jaune." With that, Ren finished mixing the energy drinks while the coffee took a while longer to finish brewing, which was all poured together into a gallon-sized pitcher, which Nora gleefully eyed.

"I hope this works…" Jaune mumbled, fearing that they might lose Nora in this crazy mess about to unfold.

"You and me both, Jaune." went Ren. "Ready, Nora?

"Ready, Ren!"

"Remember, you gotta chug it all at once, Nora." Ren fished out a lightning Dust crystal and readied himself to stab it into her arm.

"You got it!" With that, Nora grabbed the pitcher and the two boys watched as it disappeared down her throat within seconds. Jaune stood frozen, fearful of what's to come, but Ren was ready; he stabbed the lightning crystal into Nora's arm and her body became covered in electricity while she made a "RRRRGFFFHHHH" sound. She began twitching like crazy and a huge smile spread across her face. "I HAVE THE POWER!" she screamed before there was a flash of light and she disappeared into thin air.

"Holy crap, I didn't think it would actually work," said a surprised Jaune.

"Now we wait…wanna play Cribbage while we wait?" said Ren. Jaune nodded and they sat down at the table with the game board and a deck of cards.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora appeared out of thin air in front of Beacon, but it was completely intact, but the strange thing was all the little people walking around. Nora thought they were dwarves, but she recognized Team RWBY out of the bunch, who noticed her and gave her a strange look, like she looked out of place there. "This must be that chibi universe Ruby once told me about," she remarked before she suddenly fizzled out of thin air.

"Was that Nora?" went the Chibi Ruby.

"I think so…" answered the Chibi Yang.

"Whatever, let's just go back to comedy skits," said the Chibi Weiss, to which everyone agreed.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora flopped out of thin air onto a field of grass. Upon looking up, she found herself staring upon a massive Ursa, but it made no attempt to devour her, especially given the girl riding him.

"Hello again, Nora!" called Other Nora. "I see you're traveling across worlds again!"

"Hello, Other Nora! Hello, Dante!" Nora gave the beast a scratch under the chin, which made him softly growl with delight.

"Aww, he remembers you!"

"I'd like to stay, but I gotta go. I gotta find a world where Pyrrha lived, but Jaune died."

"Awww, Pyrrha died in your world? Well, give your Ren my regards, and good luck!"

With a wave, Nora vanished with a lightning spark.

"I hope she visits again sometime," Other Nora said to herself as she spurred Dante along.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Nora appeared again, she found herself falling out of the sky, prompting her to scream in horror. She was soon joined by four skydivers dressed in assorted colors and gear.

Nora noticed that the four skydivers were Team JNPR, and the one in yellow––obviously Jaune––handed her a spare parachute. _This must be some extreme sports-crazy universe._ She handed the parachute back and concentrated, where she disappeared again.

"Nora, I think another you from another world just traveled to our location," Extreme Jaune said into his earpiece.

"Rats! I wish I got to say something to her!" grumbled Extreme Nora, who crossed her arms and huffed.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora fell out of thin air again, but this time, she landed onto a soft bed, making her bounce in place. When she looked up, she was at Beacon and Team JNPR were in the room, but they were all Faunus. Jaune was a Golden Retriever with a massive tail, Pyrrha was an Owl with great bright eyes, Ren was a sloth, and the Faunus Nora was some kind of bird. "Got any coffee? I could use a recharge to hop between worlds," she asked her Faunus counterpart.

"Boop boop!" went Faunus Nora before she suddenly dashed off for the kitchen at high speed.

"Cool! I'm a road runner Faunus!"

So, why are you jumping between worlds, Human Nora?" asked Faunus Jaune.

"I'm looking for a Pyrrha who's Jaune died at Beacon to replace our Pyrrha that died at Beacon," she answered with a straight face.

"I died?!" Faunus Jaune and Pyrrha exclaimed.

"Yup, so I'm trying to find a new Pyrrha for our Jaune." Faunus Nora returned with a gallon of coffee.

"I made it extra strong for you," the Faunus Nora remarked, handing her Human counterpart the pitcher.

"Thanks. Also, not sure if I should tell you guys this, but whatever. Pyrrha, when Ozpin offers you an option to take some magic powers later on, decline it, but if you end up at Beacon when some fiery bitch ruins everything and kills Ozpin, DON'T go fight her, got it?" Pyrrha silently nodded. "And Jaune, Pyrrha is madly in love with you, so stop being an idiot and realize that you love her too before she potentially dies. Ciao!" With that, she chugged the pitcher and vanished.

"You…you love me, Pyrrha?" mumbled Faunus Jaune. Both he and Faunus Pyrrha blushed a deep red.

"…Yes…do you love me…?" she mumbled, refusing to look at him.

"…Um…uh…"

"OH, JUST KISS ALREADY!" yelled Faunus Nora, who slapped their heads together in a kiss.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora zapped out of thin air and landed on her feet in another Beacon dorm room, but this time, she landed in a gender bent world, evident so by the female Jaune and Ren and the male Pyrrha and Nora.

"Oh, hey, its a me from a world where I'm a girl," Thor remarked as he pointed at Nora.

"Not again…" grumbled Lie Rin, rubbing her forehead.

"Wow, you look pretty, female Ren!" Nora remarked, making Rin blush. "You too, female Jaune!"

"Jaune, huh? What a wonderful name," Pyrrhus Nikos whispered as he stared at Jeanne Arc.

"Pyrrha! You look so cool!" Nora jumped with glee at her team's new appearances. "Anyway, since I'm here, I'll tell you the same thing I told the Faunus JNPR…"

(One quick future events foretelling later)

"…And that's what'll happened, to my knowledge, so avoid all of that and we'll be still together!" Jeanne and Pyrrhus were blushing like crazy, trying to avoid each other's gaze while Rin gave a long sigh, but Thor was excited as can be. "But before I go…" Nora went forward and gave Rin a long kiss on the lips, the two of them blushing while Thor was visible upset. "…Sorry, Thor! I needed to know what that felt like first! Ta-ta!" With that, she vanished.

Jeanne went over and wrapped her arms around Pyrrhus. "Um…I love you, Pyrrhus…"

"AWWWWW" squeed Thor. Rin was too busy blushing from Nora kissing her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora fell out of thin air yet again, but this time, she landed directly onto the coffee table in the Arc-Cotta house, breaking it from the suddenly impact. "Oof…ouch…" she groaned.

"NORA?!" cried multiple voices around her. She looked up and found Teams RWBY, JNPR, Qrow, Oscar, Saphron Arc, and Terra Cotta-Arc staring at her with disbelief, but the major difference was that Jaune was nowhere to be found and in his place was Pyrrha, dressed in new armor that incorporated white and bronze. On her round shield was a white metal trim with a pair of yellow crescent arcs upon it and on her hip was a gladius made of fine steel, but the hilt was clearly derived from Jaune's Crocea Mors.

"Let me guess, you came from another world?" asked the other Nora, who looked about the same as herself, but the hole in her white shirt was instead a crescent moon.

"I thought we were done with these antics…" grumbled Ren.

"So what's going on?" asked Saphron, who looked as if she was crying a while ago.

"I'm here to take you home with me, Pyrrha, back to Ren and Jaune."

"Jaune?! But he's…" Pyrrha stopped herself.

"Just as Ren predicted, this is a world where you lived and Jaune died instead." Saphron glanced downward at her cup of tea, to which Terra rested her hand on her wife's shoulder; Nora could tell that they just told her of Jaune's death.

"I can't leave, we have to stop Cinder and bring her to justice," Pyrrha remarked. "even if it means seeing Jaune again…"

"I think you should go with her," said Ruby. "I mean, Pyrrha, I think it would be best for you and the JNPR of her world anyway."

"But…" Pyrrha started.

"We'll be fine, Pyrrha," Other Nora interrupted. "Besides, you love Jaune, isn't this what you want?"

Pyrrha stayed silent. "We'll be happy knowing that you're with another JNPR, one that clearly wants you back so badly," went Ren, smiling at Nora.

"It's like that episode of Space Trek where they went to the evil universe…" Saphron mumbled before looking over at Pyrrha. "…I think it would be best if you go to that world, Pyrrha. I mean, you love my brother, and if he's alive in another world, then it would make me happy enough to know that he will reunite with the girl he loves and be happy with her, even if I will never see him again." She gave Pyrrha a warm smile.

Pyrrha looked among all her friends and back at Nora. "Okay…I'll go with you…"

"Yay! Now, I need to recharge my energy, so I need plenty of coffee and energy drinks," Nora informed everyone, who all went to work brewing coffee and mixing energy drinks in with them.

"I think you'll need this," said Other Nora, handing her counterpart a lightning Dust crystal that she uses to activate her Semblance.

"Thank you, Other Nora." Other Nora flashed her a thumbs up.

Everyone gathered together in the living room again while Nora held the pitcher of coffee-energy drink mix with Pyrrha beside her. "Now, Once I drink this and stab myself with the crystal, you gotta hold onto me for dear life, okay, Pyr?" Pyrrha nodded. "Well, so long, everyone! Good luck saving the world, and be sure to kill Cinder for us back home!" With that, Nora downed the pitcher and stabbed herself with the Dust crystal. "HERE WE GO!" Pyrrha latched onto her supercharged friend before there was a flash of light and they both vanished, shocking everyone.

"Now we gotta get a new coffee table," Terra grumbled at the broken mess of wood in front of her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora and Pyrrha appeared out of thin air back in Nora's world, where Pyrrha stumbled and fell over, only to be caught by a pair of arms. "Pyrrha?!" called a familiar voice.

Pyrrha gazed up and found herself staring at Jaune, but he was different: a little older, wiser, and stronger, far different than the Jaune she remembered from her world, who kissed her, threw her into a rocket locker, and ran off to fight Cinder and never came back, with only his sword and shield surviving the battle. "J-Jaune?"

Nora and Ren watched the two's reunion from afar, letting them enjoy the moment alone. Pyrrha viewed Jaune up and down, taking in his new appearance. "Um…you got new armor…" she started, refusing to meet his gaze again.

"Oh, yeah…" Jaune deployed his shield, showing her the new bronze trim and the circlet emblem below the crescent arcs. "…I, uh, got it upgraded using your gear after the…uh…"

"It suits you well." she smiled.

"I see you used my sword and shield to give yourself a touch up too."

"Oh, yes!" Pyrrha showed Jaune her shield and showed off her new gladius made from her xiphos and his sword, and with a button press, she transformed it into a javelin and into its rifle form. "It's mostly like my Milo, but the steel from your blade helps it pierce tougher defenses." The two fell completely silent, until Pyrrha finally looked Jaune in the eye. "Whatever the me of this world did…I'm sorry…"

"And I'm sorry for the me that died in your world, I dunno what he was doing, thinking that he could fight Cinder when he's weaker than you."

"No, actually, I was the weakest of the four of us…you were a Vale champion in my world, always praised by everyone and you were a celebrity in Vale too, but I was just this little woman thinking I could be a hero, and I was so close to becoming it, until you gave your life trying to save mine…I'm guessing the Pyrrha here was like you?" Jaune nodded. "Well, I hope she had a good life with you…"

Jaune pulled Pyrrha into a hug, catching her off guard. "I love you so much, Pyrrha…I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner…I'm sorry I was so stupid and didn't realize how much I love you until it was too late…" He began to cry, making Pyrrha cry in return.

"It's okay…I'm sorry I was so stupid for not realizing how much you loved me too…"

They gazed upon each other for a moment before closing the gap in a loving kiss that reminded them both of their first kiss with the Jaune and Pyrrha of their worlds.

"Welcome back…" Jaune whispered, making Pyrrha smile.

"Hello again…" she answered back before kissing him again.

"Ahh…all's right in the world now, isn't it, Ren?" Nora told him as she hopped in place, still jittery from the caffeine.

"Yes, yes it is. Once your crash hits and is over, you should tell me about the other worlds you went to."

"Oh, it was amazing! I kissed a female you named Lie Rin, for starters, and I ran into Nora and Dante again!"

Nora prattled on and one until she finally fell over and crashed while Jaune and Pyrrha continued to hug and kiss each other, happy to have each other again, even if one had to cross worlds to do so.


End file.
